One Rose for Another
by AliasStars
Summary: In punishment for picking the Beast's rose, Kaito must offer his daughter, Rin, in exchange. But little does she know that the cruel and selfish Beast transforms into a boy for half the day. Can she learn to love this boy for the beast he is? SPINOFF FROM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! RIN/LEN! (NOTE: COMPLETE!)
1. Chapter 1

All right! I found an interesting version of 'Beauty and the Beast...' and here it is! But be warned! The beast can not only be a beast, but also a cruel and evil-hearted male... Named Len. I've mixed the Disney Version with a few others. Enjoy~

Chapter 1

A Rose for A Rose

"Father, please~" His youngest daughter, only fourteen, ran after him. Rin, with her beauty, was considered the rose of his family, even following his two eldest daughters.

"All right, Rin. What would you like?" Kaito knelt to his daughter's level, pinching her cheek in a fatherly way. All the girls had lost their mother, and he wanted to make up for the unforgiving loss.

"A rose, father. Please? Any rose!"

Such a simple request, but did his Rin understand the significance of a rose?

"All right, Rin. A red rose, only for you."

"Such insolence!" His next eldest scoffed. Neru was practical and straightforward. "I want a silk sash, father. With pearls embroidered across the hem."

"Father!" complained his oldest daughter. Lily clasped her hands together to show her utter need for the item. "I want a necklace, with emeralds, father! Please?"

"Of course," Kaito nodded, and patted his two eldest on the head. "How could I forget you two? Now run along, and I shall be back in a week's time."

"Yes, father!" Rin chirped. The other two just dismissed him and waltzed into their home.

Kaito straightened up and waved his farewell. Only Rin stood, watching after him with longing and hope.

~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~

Kaito traipsed through the forest, cold and alone.

Shivering, he walked deeper, dragging his boots through the slush and wetness of snow. Suddenly, he came upon iron.

Iron...Gates?

Kaito stumbled against the gates, unlatching one from the other. He dragged himself inside, falling against the ground blocked off.

"Hello?" He rasped weakly. "Some...One...Help me..."

"Oh, my." He heard a voice that sounded male. "We'd better call the Prince."

And then Kaito blacked out.

~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~

"Wake up..." Kaito felt the cool washcloth against his bed. He also heard heavy breathing and a dark, low, growl.

He weakly opened his eyes to see the sight that greeted him...

And screamed so loudly that the force made him hit his head against a headboard.

A horrendous creature sat on the bed, heavy and bulky. He had hairy arms and hairy...Well, everything. His icy blue eyes stared right at Kaito and right through him as well. Kaito whimpered, unable to help himself.

"Prince," chided a female voice. "You're still in beast form..."

"Huh? Oh," grunted the...Thing. He stood up abruptly. A convulse ran through the creature, and suddenly, a striking boy stood there, seemingly as old as Neru.

Kaito rubbed his eyes, the sudden movement making him moan in pain.

"Why did you come here?" The boy asked Kaito hostilely. His icy eyes pierced through Kaito, and Kaito was still unsure at what he was seeing. What was this? Magic?

His voice broke through the air barrier. "What am I...What _am_ I doing here?" He asked plainly.

"We saved you, of course!" said a light, cheerful, female voice. Kaito turned to see an elderly lady with kind crinkles around her eyes. She patted his hand. "Try not to move too much, dearie."

"My daughters...At home...I have to go..." Kaito choked out weakly, and the boy stood. His voice was a cruel arrow. His lip curled in disgust.

"I agree. Throw him out."

"Len!" admonished the woman. "We cannot!"

"I'm really okay," Kaito said weakly, getting to his feet. "Please. You must let me go back to my daughters."

_My Rin, her eyes full of hope~_

"There is a port if you go back around the castle. Travel past the garden and there will be a small ship. Follow the strait and you will be taken back to your land. Boat is how you came, no?"

"Y-Yes," Kaito said. "Thank you." He wrapped his ratty coat around himself and opened the back door.

"Oh, no, dear! Take this coat. It's much warmer," the lady sang, giving it to him.

"Thank you." Kaito said again, slipping outside. It was a little warmer, and he traipsed by the garden. Suddenly, he stopped, straightening up.

_A rose!_

For there was a beautiful red rose, fragile petals opening up to the sun. It glowed faintly, a sort of magical little thing.

Kaito breathed in its delicate, sweet, scent. He had to take it back to Rin...

Fumbling, he snapped the stem, cupping the rose in his palm.

Suddenly, there was an inhumane roar and the beast was there again, his eyes furious with rage.

"_HOW DARE YOU?"_

Kaito stumbled back. "I'm sorry..."

"_HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY ROSE?"_

The beast bellowed another roar of anger as he fell to the ground, writhing. The rose dissolved into a shower of golden sparks, and Kaito stared. There was a howl of pain, and the beast staggered to his feet.

The beast clawed at the ground, clutching his chest. "I will not... I will not be trapped in this form forever! I need an exchange...Yes." He grasped at Kaito's neck, his claws tightening around the man's skin. Kaito choked and coughed. "In exchange for taking my most precious item...You must give me your most precious item. My servant will come..." The beast groaned in unretained pain. "...And pick her up."

Kaito grasped the stones in horror. "No..." he muttered unconsciously. "...Not Rin...No."

"Yes! Your most precious possession...Whether you want it or not, you pathetic human!" The beast roared, his teeth gnashing, and dropped Kaito to the ground. "Go!" He lifted one claw. "GO!"

Kaito ran, and didn't look back.


	2. Chapter 2

Rin stared, tears in her beautiful blue eyes. She stumbled back, staring at her father.

"Oh, Father...You shouldn't have plucked that rose!"

"Rin..." Her father's voice was blurred with tears. "I'm so sorry." Kaito had called a family meeting, but, to his intense disappointment, neither of his eldest daughters seemed to care that Rin was going to belong to...to a beast.

Rin wailed, falling into her father's comforting embrace. He smelled like sweet cream and forest pine, and Rin cried harder.

"I don't want to g-go to the castle! I want t-to stay here! With you!"

"I'm not going to give you up that easily," Kaito announced, steel in his eyes. "After all, nobody has-"

The doorbell rang, interrupting his speech. Without thinking, he opened the door. A royal looking man with a pinched face stared at him with grey eyes.

"I am here to pick up a prized possession from Kaito Shion?" He said in a nasally voice. Rin whimpered, and the man flicked a glance at her.

"Ah yes. Here." Kaito handed the man an hourglass in a clock. It was outlined in pretty jewels and the like, but the man shook his head.

"Incorrect. Do not play games, Sir. I mean for you to give me your youngest daughter. Your most prized possession?"

Kaito didn't care that Lily and Neru were looking insulted. He didn't care that the man tossed aside the hourglass, shattering it on the floor.

"You cannot take Rin." He growled, arms cast protectively over his daughter.

"All right sir. But if the Beast comes to take her himself, he will do it by force. It will not be my fault if her limbs are lost in the process." The man's grey eyes cast over her again, and he nodded. "Also, if you lose limbs as well, and the house is absolutely destroyed... Well! Good day to you." He nodded again and turned.

"Wait!" Rin cried, stepping forward.

"Rin," Kaito hissed. "What are you doing?"

"It is a small price to pay, father." She smiled bravely. "I don't want you all to suffer because of me. Don't worry! I will be fine. If you can, come visit."

"No, Rin! I forbid you to go-!" Kaito was cut off by Rin's hug.

"Please, father. I need not make you and Lily and Neru...ah...'lose limbs' as he so put it. I love you."

Kaito clenched his teeth as his daughter was snatched away.

"Thank you."

And without any more, Rin was gone.

~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~

Rin squeaked as the man roughly pushed her into a room. "Go on." he said nasally. "The prince is waiting for you."

"O..Okay, thank you..." Rin was cut off by the door slamming. She walked down the dreary hall, looking around. There were eery portraits on the wall, leering unpleasantly at her. The last picture was completely demolished, shredded to pieces. Rin shivered as she gently pushed open the door.

"Hello?" She called, only to receive nothing but a cold breeze as her response. "Someone? Hello?"

She suddenly heard a ghostly growl, ripping through the room and her heart. Rin shrieked in surprise and whipped around.

And almost _fainted._

The creature- the _inhumane _creature- standing before her had teeth the size of her head and claws longer than it. Coarse brown hair completely covered its form, and steady, heavy breaths erupted from its mouth. A long gash traveled down its beefy arm, dripping blood.

"Y-You're...Y...You're..."

"Hideous." The beast growled sharply. "Horrible. Inhumane."

"N-No...Y-You're bleeding!" Rin cried, stepping forward.

"What?" The beast snarled, yanking its arm away, only to get it pulled back by Rin.

"Stop squirming, you..."

"You _what?" _The Beast growled flatly. Rin shook her head, and the Beast grabbed her face between two of its horrendous claws. Rin found herself looking straight at icy blue eyes, the color of winter.

"Let me go," Rin struggled to escape his hold. "Please! I just want to help!" The claws pierced her cheek, and she struggled.

He practically threw her back, and Rin crashed into the wall,.

"F-Fine!" Rin stumbled to her feet indignantly. "I won't help! What will you make me do here?"

"Nothing. You are to be a guest," the beast growled sharply. "Nothing more or less. Your room is upstairs. Do _not _touch anything other than what is in your own room, do you understand?"

Rin was scared. _Very _scared. This was basically a kidnapping...

"B..But don't you want to...To...Stop bleeding?"

"Get out! I don't need your false concern," the Beast growled.

Rin scowled and turned, throwing open the door. What a jerk! Tears rushed to her eyes again and she sniffled. She had to get the heck out of here! She found the front door and pulled against the handle, trying to open them.

"You can't get out." She heard the rough voice of her captor and broke, sobbing with her arm against her eyes. Wracked with tears, Rin crumpled, her eyes hidden into her hands.

"I don't want to be here...P-Please...Take me home!"

"You. Cannot. Leave. Do you understand? Even if you try to go, you will be brought back by magic. It is a trade, and bound by magic. The magic of my curse."

"Wh-What curse?" Rin asked, her eyes filled with tears.

The icy blue fell onto her, as though condescending. He knelt over her, and Rin fell back, her arms hitting the ground painfully.

"P-Please..." Rin gasped, staring up at him, then snapping her eyes shut. "D...Don't eat me..."

"Stupid human! I don't eat creatures like you. You all taste the same." His claws pinned her wrists down and Rin exhaled fiercely.

"No...N_o!" _She twisted in his grip. "Get away from me, you...You...!"

Just then, the clock struck twelve, and Rin realized that her stomach hurt. She was hungry. It was...lunchtime? But it was so dark in the castle that it felt like evening all the time.

"You what?" His voice seemed gentler, smoother. Rin kept her eyes shut.

"No...!"

The heavy breathing ceased, turning to soft exhales. The horrifying teeth felt like...Lips against her neck.

"Open your eyes, girl." Rin's eyes slowly opened, and she gasped when she realized that the claws pinning her down were actually hands.

Her eyes traveled upwards...

...And then she fainted.

~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~

"I don't understand." Rin said, staring at her soup. The boy across from her snarled, his spoon clattering to the table.

"Idiot girl. At midnight, I will change into a Beast. At noon, I will turn into my real form. When in extreme states, such as anger or...Sadness," he spit the word out, "I will turn into a Beast again."

Rin stared forlornly at him. "That's awful. I'm so sorry...B-But...Why did you turn into a Beast in the first place?"

"That is none of your concern," the boy hissed darkly, slamming his spoon down. "You will dine with me every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"And if I'm not hungry?" questioned Rin defiantly. The boy stood, his eyes enraged, barely controlling his short temper.

"I _don't __**care **_if you're hungry or not. You will dine with me every day or I will rip your pretty little head off."

Rin took the threat seriously.

"Now now, Len, is that any way to treat a guest?" resounded a rich voice, and a purple haired man came in, laden with several dishes.

"Shut up," Len frowned. "Go back to your business."

"Len...You're being silly. And control that temper of yours!" the man bowed once, an apologetic smile on his face. "Welcome to the castle. My name is Gakupo, and I'm the chef."

"D-Do you change into a Beast too?" she asked timidly, put to comfort by the man's gentle attitude.

He laughed. "No, that's just Len. I've been known to become an oven, occasionally, though." His eyes sparkled.

"Oh, as if an oven is a bad thing!" A pink haired lady waltzed in, carrying delicious-smelling tea in a pretty teapot. "I turn into a teapot!"

"And I'm a teacup!" chimed a small voice, and Rin's eyes widened to see a small black haired girl peep out from behind the pink haired lady's legs.

"I'm Luka, and this is Yuki," said the woman kindly.

"S-So..D-Do you all turn into...Items?" Rin asked, trying to ask politely.

"All of us except for Len," piped up Yuki. Len glared at the table. "And you're pretty!" This time she turned to Rin.

Rin blushed red, to the amusement of everyone except Len. "Oh...W-Well...Th-Thank you."

"What's your name?"

"It's...It's Rin."

"Rin and Len~!" Luka sighed, and Gakupo didn't conceal his grin. Len furiously shot to his feet and spat his next words out.

"I'm going to bed. Tell Gumi to show Rin her room." He stalked off and Rin sighed after him.

"Is he always like that?"

Gakupo sighed, and Luka turned to Rin, a melancholic smile on her pretty face. "Go on to bed, Rin. You've had a tough day. GUMI!"

A peppy looking green haired girl appeared at the door. "Gumi at your service!"

"Show Rin her room, Gumi."

"Oh, so you're the new girl! Nice to meet you. Wow, you really got Len pissed. That's a new record! Congrats!"

Luka swatted at Gumi and Gumi giggled, grabbing Rin's hand and tugging her to her room.

"I heard them complaining about their 'items.'" She rolled her emerald eyes. "As if! I turn into a broom. Go on! And try not to get on Teto's bad side! I'll see you later!"

"Who's...Wait...Can you...?" Rin's words were choppy and awkward, and overwhelmed, she went into her room.

She flopped onto her bed.

"Do you plan to go to bed wearing _that?"_

Rin turned to see glowing crimson eyes the size of apples. "Wh-What...?" Frightened, she stepped back, only to be approached by a girl with magenta hair twisted into drills.

"I _said..." _said the enraged voice. "DO YOU PLAN TO GO TO BED WEARING THAT HORRENDOUS RAG?"

Rin, offended, looked down, and realized that the girl was right. Her dress was now ripped from the Beast's attack.

"Come! Come!" The girl whisked her to the wardrobe and tossed cloth after silky cloth at Rin, who was, in moments, buried.

"Th-Thank you..."

"Don't mention it! Although, at midnight, if you hear thumping, that's my own fault! I turn into this very wardrobe, you see. So I will wake you up and give you the perfect breakfast gown!"

"I'm not eating with him," Rin said stubbornly. The girl turned and balked at her, her jaw falling.

"What?"

"I'm not eating with that...Rude...Prince."

"Well..." Teto shifted. "I doubt he'll take well to that..."

"I don't care," Rin said bitterly. "I'm _not _dining with him."

"Um...Er...Okay...!" Teto seemed at a loss for words. "W-Well...Good night..."

"Rin," Rin offered.

"Good night, Rin...!"

"Good night," Rin smiled softly despite her situation and fell into bed. She'd had a very long day, and found herself very tired. She was asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.

~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~

_"Luka? Do you think she is the one?" The teacup spun her way to the bigger teapot, who turned slightly._

"_Yuki...I believe that Rin has the potential to be whomever we need her to be. The inner beauty shines above the outer beauty."_

"_I think Len has some issues," rumbled the oven, his door open so he could talk easily. _

"_I DO NOT HAVE ISSUES!" The Beast roared from his corner, where he was glaring angrily at the floor._

"_Len," chimed the broomstick, twirling her way over gracefully. "Try being nice to her!"_

"_She doesn't _deserve _my kindness. She. Is merely. A. Possession!"_

_He stormed off, and the kitchen was quite for a few minutes._

"_Ah, but Len..." the oven spoke up. "That is where you are wrong..."_

_**Whew~ That's a lot of words...XD Review, and thank you so much to those who decided to open this story! XDDD (And to all the AH-MAZING reviewers that reviewed the first chapter.)**  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Lol~ Sorry for the late...ish update, XD. Imma bit depressed because my story 'One New Message' got taken down by Fanfiction. They won't let me do texting stories! But there are so many of them that haven't been taken down yet! Ugh, it bugged me. So yeah. XDD I'm such a complainer. T_T**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SHE WON'T DINE WITH ME?" Len roared. It was approximately 11:00 A.M, and Luka, Gakupo, Yuki, Gumi, Teto, and the others were still in their object forms.

"I apologize," Gumi said stonily. "Teto said that she had had a very long day and is still sleeping soundly, so I saw it rude to wake her up." Her eyes peered from between the bristles at Len, and with a huff, she spun away and danced across the floor.

"WAKE HER UP!" Len bellowed to no one in particular. Gakupo sighed, Luka and Yuki hid in the cupboards, and Teto sleepily drifted her eyes towards the sleeping girl, able to hear Len even one floor above.

"Rin," she called, tipping back and forth. "Rin, please wake up."

"Mfhdhfsfm," Rin responded into her pillow, her pale hand shooing away the caller. "Don't wake me up yet, Father..."

Teto's...Er, wooden...Heart almost broke. "Rin...!"

Rin's head popped up, her golden hair shooting in random places. Her aquamarine eyes were wide, surprised, and round.

"...Eh? Where am I?" Rin flipped onto her back and eyed Teto. "Oh! You're...Teto, right?" Rin's face fell, and she remembered where she was.

"Now now," Teto said, and Rin stared at Teto.

"Y-You can talk?"

"Oh, yes!" said Teto, offended. "Now, get that expression off of your face and go downstairs. Len is, ah, expecting you."

She winced as Len's angry yelling echoed from downstairs, and Rin sleepily glared at the door.  
"Is he a Beast now?"

"Yes," said Teto, sighing.

"I refuse to go."

Teto sighed again. "Please, Rin, at least for the first day don't be difficult."

"Teto," Rin pleaded. "Teto, please...I don't want to go..."

Teto's doors turned red. "What do you wish me to do? I am nothing but a wardrobe. I can't help you!"

"Rin~!" A broom waltzed into her room, and, upon spotting her awake, hopped in excitement. "Rin! You're awake! Good. Now, hurry, and dress up! Len's shouting is making my bristles ache."

"She refuses to go," Teto mumbled.

"_What? _You're refusing _Len? _I'm liking you more and more," Gumi murmured.

"I will not dine with a Beast," Rin said stubbornly. Gumi and Teto exchanged glances.

"Will you dine with a human?"

"Not that evil prince."

"We're very sorry, Rin." Gumi apologized, backing out. "But it looks like we'll have to get someone to take you down there."

Teto opened her doors, enveloping Rin into them. When she spit her back out, Rin was dressed in a rich blue dress, that fell all the way past her feet. Her face glowed and Teto nodded once.

"Preparation is done!"

_'What just happened?' _Rin wondered.

"Call... Meiko!"

"No need," griped a voice. "I'm already here. Where's this troublesome princess?"

"Right in here. And be gentle."

Rin gasped when she saw a coat rack approach her. The rack came down over Rin, trapping her in its hold. It whisked her down the stairs quickly, depositing her at the table, inches from Len.

"Don't be expecting my services again!" grumbled the female voice, growing fainter as it traveled towards the front doors.

"_WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" _Len thundered.

"Asleep," Rin mumbled into her breakfast. Len's paw...Claw...Thing...Quivered, and he shook with rage. His teeth gnashed together as he grabbed the back of her head and dragged her towards his face.

Rin, fully awake now, squeaked as she saw the teeth approach her.

"Do you remember what I said I'd do if you refused to dine with me?" He threatened, giving her a shake. Rin trembled, unable to help it. His voice had gone dark and low, even menacing.

"I'm s-sorry," she stammered. "B-But I got t-taken away from my home, s-so I was r-recovering...It w-won't happen again, I p-promise...!"

He let her go and she fell back, quivering with anger, humiliation, and frustration. Rin took up the handle of the teapot and-

"Careful there, Rin!"

Rin shrieked and almost dropped Luka right on her porcelain face.

"L-Luka?"

"Yes- Oh!- Don't drop me, please!"

"Careful, Rin!" chimed a tinier voice. Rin looked at her teacup and laughed in complete disbelief.

"_Yuki?"_

"Yea! That's me!"

Rin sat back, her face lost. "Um...When do you all turn back?"

"Noon," replied a rumbling voice. Rin turned to see the oven door fall open as the voice emanated from it. Thoroughly freaked out, Rin stared, bewildered, at it.

"G-Gakupo, right?"

"Yes," and it was followed by rumbling laughter. "Look how scared you are, girl, your eyes are as wide as plates!"

"I'm not scared," Rin protested. "I'm...awed."

Yuki bounced once. "Wow, Rin! Your eyes are prettier when you hold me up!"

Rin blushed again. What was with this girl and compliments?

"That's very nice of you, Yuki."

"You," Len said sharply to Rin. "You will accompany me on a trip down to the village. Understand?"

"But," Rin protested, "I want to explore the castle!"

The aura was dark around him and Rin swallowed her tea quickly. "What did I just say? You will accompany me on a trip down to the village."

"O-Okay." Rin stammered, looking down at her breakfast. "But you're a Beast..."

"We will leave promptly at 12:05. As a Prince's lady, you must be dressed appropriately."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Rin interrupted. He glowered at her with his wintry eyes.

"Teto will give you a talk on what is appropriate to wear, and when to wear it. Now go and get ready. We will leave in exactly 35 minutes."

~ONE ROSE~

"T-Teto?" Rin asked shyly. "Len asked me to ask you to give me a talk on what is appropriate to wear and when...?"

"Oh, yes! I love having this talk," Teto chortled. "All right, Rin. For going to the village, you will want to wear a white dress with shorter sleeves- for a simple, innocent, look, and a red cape. A red sash around the waist and perhaps red shoes to touch up the look, no?"

"Uh," Rin stared at her. "Sure."

"All right! Step on in, Rinny!"

Rin timidly climbed into the wardrobe. The doors shut, and then Rin was spit back out, dressed just as she'd imagined.

"Wow..." She twirled. "How do you do it?"

"Well," Teto said. "The enchantress, knowing we weren't at fault, cursed us, but let us have a few abilities such as making us talk. For me, I can dress one up with any type of clothing or how the person imagines it."

"That's amazing!" Rin said in awe. She smiled up at Teto. "Thank you!"

Rin brushed her hair and placed her signature bow in her hair. Her mother had given it to her before she died.

"Ah, you look positively splendid! Fit to be the Prince's lady."

"Teto," Rin said, turning. "Why are you all under a curse? Who cast it? What did the Prince do?"

Teto swallowed, fidgeting slightly. "Eh...Well, Rin..."

Suddenly, the clock chimed 12 and a shower of golden sparkles swirled around Teto. Rin blinked in shock and stepped back. When she opened her eyes again, Teto was a human girl and the wardrobe was just a wardrobe. Teto smirked at Rin's expression and patted her head.

"Don't look so freaked out. You might as well get used to it. Now go! Have fun at the village!"

Rin laughed, running outside. "Thank you, Teto!"

~ONE ROSE~

"You look nice," Len said stiffly, his cold eyes analyzing her. Rin bit her lip, bowing her head in fear that anything she said would make him angry. And she hadn't really noticed it, but Len was very handsome. He was tall, striking, with golden hair pulled into a small ponytail. A few shards fell into his icy blue eyes, and he held himself like, well, a prince.

"Thank you."

"Come," he held out his hand and Rin took it, blushing slightly when he escorted her outside. It was a crisp autumn afternoon, and Rin felt a light spring in her step. Homesickness fluttered in her heart and stomach, and Len's presence wasn't exactly comforting. She missed her dad, and even Neru and Lily. That showed how homesick she was, didn't it?

"Ah, Len!"

Len stiffened, his lips tightening as he stopped. Rin, who had her arm curled around Len's, felt his arm tense by his side.

Three boys came up to him, all with various shades of hair color and eyes. One had black hair and amber eyes, one had red hair and maroon eyes, and the third had golden hair and amber eyes.

"Is this your girlfriend, Len?" The black haired one asked boldly, peering at Rin.

"No, Rei. She's come to visit from her city," Len replied, if possible, his voice even more chilly. "Rin, these three are Rei, Akaito, and Nero."

"You're short," Nero said bluntly. His amber eyes cast over Rin and he snatched her from Len, looking down at her. Akaito and Rei stood around her, identical grins on her face.

"And you lack," Akaito raised her arm, staring straight at her. "In the chest area, you know?" Rin blushed as Rei turned her face to him.

"Your face is cute, but a bit childish. How old are you?"

"I think she must be, like, twelve," Nero mocked as Akaito chortled. Rin hated the way they were picking on her, but her throat had gone dry.

"Nah, she's mature in her figure, if you don't look at her chest." Akaito laughed.

"_**Enough." **_Len's voice cut through like and arrow and he pulled Rin back. She gratefully averted her eyes as he glared at them through narrowed eyes. "She has the intelligence that you three lack, after all. Now if you would be so kind, leave my guest alone and let us through?"

Rin felt a thrill run through her as Len- almost protectively- took her hand and led her away. Rin shifted as three pairs of eyes watched them.

"Friends?" she asked, trying to break the ice. Len laughed bitterly.

"Hardly. Be careful around them, Rin." He continued, and she looked up in surprise. "They'll find anything to criticize about you because you're with me." His eyes fell just below her neck and Rin blushed again, turning away. He had to fight a slight smile, surprising her again.

"Just be careful."

"Okay," Rin said.

Maybe...She had just misunderstood the 'Beast' after all.

**Review~ **


	4. Chapter 4

**Ah, Len. You...Are a sadistic bastard.  
Now on to the story, ne~?**

"You have to get my daughter back," Kaito said to the boy, who calmly wiped his mouth and cast him a look of lazy boredom.

"Oh really," he said. "And tell me why I should?"

"I...What would you like?" Kaito asked. He was in utter defeat by now, and all he wanted was Rin back. He would do anything.

The boy gave him a lazy smirk. "I will ask a high price..."

"_Any_thing."

"Your youngest daughter- I want her hand in marriage."

"_What?" _Kaito asked, standing up abruptly. "No way!"

"Then no," the boy said simply, putting his dagger into his pouch. "I won't rescue this damsel."

Kaito stared, his eyes anguished. Getting his daughter back, just to lose her again to this boy?

"...Fine," Kaito said in defeat.

_I hope...This is not gong to be something I regret._

~ONE ROSE~

"Prince Len?" Rin asked shyly. "Prince...?" Rin gasped, dropping the plate when she saw what was happening. "_Len?"_

"G...Go...!" Len choked. He was on the ground, writhing. His hand was bleeding viciously. "G...Get out!"

Rin stepped forward. There were glasses shattered all over the ground, glasses that Len had evidently broken.

"What happened?" Rin gasped again as Len twisted, knocking yet another glass off of the table. His eyes widened and he thrashed, making a sort of inhuman noise.

"Get _out!" _Len roared, his eyes wild with pain.

"No." Rin said stubbornly, approaching him.

"_I SAID-"_

"And I said _no." _Rin shook her head.

Len watched her, eyes panicked as she took his hand. She tore down a tapestry, tearing it into two. She deftly wove the bandage around the wounds on his hand.

"Why are you...Helping me?" Len gasped as she wrenched each side of the bandage tightly, cutting off his circulation.

"Shush, and hold still so I can do this properly," Rin chided in a soft voice, her eyes determined as she got to work on the other hand. "And once I'm done, you're going to tell me what happened. No," she said when he tried to intervene. "You _will _tell me, because I'm stuck here with you, aren't I?"

"_Fine." _Len growled, sitting up and clutching his waist in pain. "But _why _did you help me?"

"I..." Rin paused, looking up at him. His eyes bore into her, almost questioning. "You may be cruel and unkind, but I have been disciplined to never leave someone who's hurt, and I will not. Even if it's you."

Len's face didn't change, but he grumbled, "Thanks," in a sarcastic way.

"You're welcome," Rin said brightly. "Now tell me, what was that?"

"I was having...A recollection."

"What?"

"A nightmare," Len said pointedly. "I was having a nightmare."

"Your eyes were open."

"I was having a daymare. Or a flashback, you could say. And when that old hag put a curse on me, it hurt very much, so that's why I was in pain." (**Real word! Daymare, who knew? XD)**

"What old hag?"

He stood up abruptly. "None of your business." He turned to leave, but after a moment, he turned and offered her his hand.

Rin stared at it dumbly, and then saw that twitch of a smile on his face again. "Take it, Rin."

"Oh!" She blushed, taking his hand and letting him pull her up. "Thank you."

"Now go," he said, giving her an albeit gentle push. "Get ready for dinner."

~ONE ROSE~

"Luka!" Len said demandingly. "I need to ask you a question!"

"Yes, Len?" Luka asked, her pink hair swaying delicately as she prepared the tea.

"Luka," he said in a softer voice as he sat down. "Why do you all put up with me? Why haven't you left me yet? Why?"

Luka froze, her movements coming to a stop. "Why do you ask...?"

"Because according to Rin, I'm 'cruel and unkind.'"

"Well, Len," said Luka awkwardly. "You are."

Len scowled, glaring up at her. "I _know. _So why do you put up with me?"

"Well, Len," Luka said, taking scones out of the oven and drizzling cream onto them. "We are a family. So even if you are 'cruel and unkind,' we still love you. Even though you could learn some humility."

"...Thank you, Luka." Len said, a little softer. But then the rough tone of his voice returned and he scowled, closing his eyes.

"Well anyways," he said haughtily. "I want to know how to waltz."

Luka smiled at the wall, away from him. Yuki, who had just peered in, burst into giggles.

"Sh...Shut up!" Len yelled, flustered. "I want to know how to waltz! If you don't teach me...!" His cold blue eyes settled and he turned slightly pink. "Then Rin won't think I'm competent."

Luka started laughing. "A...All right, Len! I will teach you! But you must listen to everything I say!"

"Fine," Len growled. "I will." He bit his further remarks and got up, pushed in his chair with a rough squeak, and left.

And Luka grabbed Yuki and swung her around in unretained happiness.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin yawned and dipped her hair below the surface of the water, rubbing the lavender soap against her face. She leaned against the tub, eyes tired and weary.

_Rin, please tell me honestly. Where are you going?_

She'd never been as sweet as everyone thought she was. She used to be cold, colder than Len. She hid secrets. She had her hidden angst.

"_I don't know you anymore, Rin! Please, Rin! Don't separate with me! I love you, Rin. I'm not your enemy."_

"_You're my mother, not my boss! Don't nag me like this! I'm leaving!"_

Tears rocketed down Rin's face and she clenched her teeth, her heart wrenched with guilt. She shielded her eyes with her arm and touched her bow with soapy hands.

"Mom..." She closed her eyes listlessly. "I'm so, _so, _sorry..."

"Rin, are you ready? It's almost time for dinner, and you still have no outfit! He may be a little kinder, but if there's one thing that pesters Len, it's lateness."

"A-All right," Rin yelled back, clearing her throat. "I...I'll be there!" She dunked herself under the water to clear the tears and then stood, dried herself off with a towel, and threw on a nightgown.

"Ready?"

"Of course." Rin gave Teto a quick smile, envisioned her outfit, and went into the closet. She came back out in a few minutes and Teto observed her, tugging at her curls.

"Eh...Rin...I think you were distracted."

"Eh?" Rin looked down and blushed- She was wearing a bright red dress with a yellow coat and yellow stockings. And bright blue shoes.

Teto laughed. "Come, I'll help you pick something out."

"All right," Rin laughed, too. Teto escorted her in and they both came back out, Rin wearing a smaller green dress with a gold hem and her bow.

"Much better!" Teto clapped, and Rin smiled at Teto. Suddenly, she grabbed Teto into a fierce hug and Teto stepped back, startled. "What's this for?"

"Just because you've been so kind to me."

"Oh, well, Rin. I should be thanking you."  
"Why?"

"Len came upstairs yesterday and thanked me for giving you dresses. In the past four years, Len has never thanked me, not even once, not for dressing him."

"Who dresses him now?"

"He dresses himself," said Teto casually. "Since you came and all."

"Oh...That's nice," said Rin. "Nice of him."

"Rin," Teto touched Rin on the head gently. "Someone will be coming soon. A girl named Miku. She is...A friend of Len's. Miku doesn't know of the curse, so try not to mention anything, all right?"

"Eh...Then what's the matter?"

"Miku will be staying overnight, and well past lunch. We need you to distract her for a while, at least until Len transforms back."

"That will be difficult, especially if it's Len she wants to see."

"Yes, but Len thinks you can handle it. Er, _hopes _you can handle it."

"Oh! Okay. I'll try to do it."

"Thank you, Rin! Now hurry downstairs."

"Okay."

Rin bounced downstairs and sat at the table. "What's for dinner?"

Luka and Yuki cast nervous looks at Len. Gakupo pointedly avoided Rin, his eyes on the table. Gumi hovered by the door, her eyes also grazing over Rin like she wasn't there.

Rin looked at them, and then at Len, who calmly patted his mouth dry and stared at her.

"Why are they ignoring me?"

Luka bit her lip, and Yuki's eyes watered a little bit. "Len~!"

"Be quiet," Len said sharply, and Yuki's lip trembled. Luka hugged the girl, glaring at Len.

"We had a talk," she accused him. "And I thought you learned something from it." Len scowled flatly.

"Don't ignore me..." Rin turned to Gakupo. "Gakupo? Will you tell me what's going on?"

Gakupo turned away and hurried towards the kitchen.

Rin turned to Gumi questioningly, but Gumi, quivering slightly, turned away as well.

Rin stood up, her bangs shadowing her eyes.

"Fine," she said. "...Excuse me."

She hurried towards the stairs and disappeared from sight.

Gakupo gave Len an unfathomable look and shook his head.

"But Len!" Yuki cried. "She was only three minutes late! Why did you make us ignore her? I think we made her cry."

"She needs to learn her lesson."

"Sometimes, Len, you know?" Gumi hissed, stomping her foot. "I really hate you."

"You are not to give her dinner, even if she comes down and asks. No one talk to her until breakfast tomorrow."

"Yes, _Prince." _said Luka bitterly, and the kitchen lapsed into silence.

~ONE ROSE~

If there was one thing Rin hated, it was being ignored.

Ever since her mother died, Rin didn't want to be ignored or left out. She didn't really ask for attention, or want it, but the least she wanted was to get an answer when she asked a question.

"Rin, why are you back upstairs?" Teto looked alarmed at Rin's face. "Oh, Rin. What happened?"

"They...They're all ignoring me," said Rin quietly. "And I don't know why."

Teto peeked a glance at the clock and smacked her head. "You were a little bit late. Remember, I told you how Len hates lateness."

"But...Why were they ignoring me?"

"Because Len demanded that they ignore you. When the Prince gives us commands, we're bound to follow."

"Because of the curse?" Rin asked her, eyes a little watery.

"No, because..." Teto hesitated. "Because we respect him. And yes, we are, in a way, bound to follow. Don't worry, just go get something later."

"All right."

~ONE ROSE~

"Rin?" Teto's voice woke Rin up. "Rin, are you awake?"

"Now I am." said Rin tiredly. "What is it?"

"Why don't you go get something to eat?" Teto whispered. "It's half past midnight, and you're going to be very hungry, because we're having a late breakfast."

"Oh, all right." Rin whispered back. "I'm very hungry anyways." Honestly, she'd been nodding off, but she was so hungry it had been difficult.

"Go," Teto's doors rattled. "And hurry."

Rin nodded. Throwing open her door, she wrapped a blanket around herself and ran downstairs to the kitchen.

Tiptoeing in, Rin reached into the pantry and-

"Rin?"

Rin squeaked and jumped, spinning to see Gumi peering at her through her bristles.

"Eh..." Rin hid the dinner roll behind her back and shifted. "..."

Suddenly, Rin heard something creak. She turned to see the oven fall open, and the tray sliding open. Rin gasped, eyes shining when she saw all the food. "Thank you, Gakupo!" She whispered.

He didn't reply, but the tray slid back in.

Rin looked up from the food and saw tea in a teacup being pushed towards her. She smiled warmly at Yuki and lifted the teacup up.

"WHAT DID I SAY?"

Rin's hand shook and her eyes widened in shock. She almost dropped Yuki again. She spun to see the Beast towering in the doorway.

"I..."

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEAK TO HER OR GIVE HER FOOD!" He roared, slamming his paw down on the table. Frightened, Rin stepped back. Len's eyes were bloodthirsty, almost, dark with rage and fury. He raised a paw. If he hit her, he could knock her unconscious, even kill her with his strength. Rin backed up farther, and then Luka's voice rang through.

"_Run." _

Rin took off, racing towards the door. She heard Len roar behind her, tracking her. Gumi caught up, speaking to Rin.

"You have to get out of here. Let him cool down. We'll hold him off, and then come get you later, okay?" She looked worried as the next howl split the night. "I'm _so _sorry, Rin. He loses his temper at the littlest things. He's angry that everyone disobeyed him. At this state, he could seriously injure you."

"But...I thought I couldn't leave?"

"You can't go past the grounds, but the land extends very far out. The doors are unlocked, now, all right?"

"Gumi..." Rin stopped just short of the door. "What if he hurts himself?"

"Please, Rin," Gumi said breathlessly, both of them hearing heavy footfalls and shattering glass. _Luka..._ "You mustn't worry about him right now. You have to go. Go as far as you possibly can, okay?"

"Thank you," Rin hugged Gumi's...Handle...Awkwardly and flew outside.

Gumi hesitantly went back to the kitchen, braving herself for Len's wrath.

"HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY ME?" He thundered, his fangs gnashing together. He threw a glass off of the table and growled again, panting as he collapsed against the counter.

"Len," said Luka quietly. "Take pity. She's lost...Sacrificed everything- Her family's safety, her life, friends, home, everything- Just to come here. She's terrified, probably terrified of you. How long are you going to push her past her limits?"

"I lost everything, too." Len snarled. "She is just a replacement Rose. Suppose the enchantress comes back and realizes I lost her rose?"

"Remember, Len." said Gakupo with a steely edge to his voice. "Your curse was your fault. The enchantress won't bother you as long as you have her alive. You came close to killing her just now, though. If you kill her, the enchantress will not take pity. You will be a Beast for the rest of your life."

Len looked away, still breathing heavily.

Gumi gasped, falling forward. Everyone turned to her.

"I sent Rin to the forest to hide from you, Len."

"What's wrong about that?" Luka questioned, but Len whipped around to stare at Gumi.

"Wolves."


	5. Chapter 5

Rin raced out into the sparkling snow, pushing past trees.

_I hope he doesn't hurt himself..._

But then the thought was replaced by anger. Why was he so bitter? She thought he was kind for a few moments, but now...It was gone.

Rin's lip quivered slightly as she trembled in cold and fear. It was dark, as if a black blanket had draped itself across the sky. Scraggly trees rose from the ground and icicles dripped from their branches. The snow sparkled like little diamonds, putting her at the slightest ease.

Why was it so snowy and cold here? Back at home, it was sunny and warm.

Suddenly, Rin heard something that froze her heart cold.

And it wasn't from the weather.

~ONE ROSE~

Len stared at Gumi. "Wolves. There are wolves out there."

"I thought you got rid of them!" Luka yelled at him.

"Well I never got to it!" Len bellowed back.

"Everyone _quiet!" _Gakupo silenced them. "The point is that Rin is out there, alone, and I _doubt _she can fight them off. What will you do, Len?"

Everyone turned to him, and Len glared sharply back.

"She's such a nuisance," he grumbled finally, slamming the door shut as he stormed out into the wintry forest.

Luka sighed in relief, but Gumi's eyes were worried.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin screamed as the next howl split the air. She backed up against a tree, glowing eyes following her every move.

Stumbling, Rin fell back onto the snow with a thump, scrambling backwards, away from the wolves. Her hand landed on a large stick and Rin swung it up into her hands, bolting to her feet.

"S-Stay b-back," she warned the beasts, waving the stick furiously. Paying no heed, they advanced forward. Rin swung the stick, hitting the snout of one of them. With a surprised yelp, it flew back, but the rest of the pack continued coming for her.

Rin swung the stick again and again, but one wolf grabbed the end of it. It tugged it out of her grip, and tossed it to the side, snarling ferociously. Blunt fear raced through Rin like an electric shock. They advanced from behind too, and Rin felt one wolf tear at the hem of her nightgown and waited for them to attack-

-But instead, she heard an even louder growl and then yelps of the wolves as they scattered. Rin pried her eyes open and saw the Beast- _Len- _standing there, back to her. The wolves came from behind, and Len swung, catching them in the ribs and sending them flying backwards. One came terrifyingly close to Rin, but Len picked it up easily and threw it against a tree mercilessly.

Finally, the wolves raced off into the night, leaving Rin and Len alone in the snow.

There was a silence.

"You're hurt again," Rin sighed, turning to Len. He scowled, but Rin stubbornly grabbed his paw and tied the torn hem around the wound tightly. Then, she blushed and turned away.

He looked at her, then, with an odd, almost curious look. "You're red."

Suddenly, Rin whipped around, stood on her tiptoes and dropped a kiss right onto his cheek. "Thank you for saving my life, _Len."_

He gaped at her, his jaw somewhere around his feet. Then, he regained himself and growled. "Just come back to the castle. And don't wander around here alone."

He grabbed her arm with one paw and dragged her along. Yes, it was rough, but Rin sensed a sort of gentleness as he did it.

She smiled inwardly and trailed after him. Surely by now, last night's dinner was forgotten.

ONE ROSE~

"And then he was just there, fighting off all the wolves _easily, _like it was such a simple task," Rin recalled to an enraptured Yuki. "It was amazing..."

Len, still a Beast, stood in the doorway, glowering at the floor. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"Of course it was! You saved my life!" Rin glared at him. "So hush."

Len scowled and turned to see Gakupo's appraising gaze. He entered the kitchen and Rin moved so he could sit.

"Just stay where you are," he said gruffly. "I can get another seat." He plopped down and Rin resumed telling the tale.

"But Len," she said suddenly. "Why did you come and save me if you were so mad at me?"

Everyone turned to look at him, and Len stared at her.

"B-Because," he said angrily, looking away. "I can't let you die."

"But why?" she persisted.

"I just can't." He cut the conversation off with a sharp look in her direction. "Now go to bed. It's 6:00 in the morning and I doubt you slept."

"But Len," she protested. He silenced her with a dark look.

"Go. To. Bed. Now."

"Eh..." Rin saw his look and turned to leave.

"Wait. Rin," Len said. Everyone turned to him and he growled halfheartedly. "It's okay if you're late for breakfast. In fact, just come down for lunch if you feel like it."

Rin glowed, a smile lighting up her face. "Thank you, Len!" She raced upstairs and shut her door.

Luka turned, crossed her arms, and smiled smugly.

"_What?" _Len scowled, turning away as a burning feeling settled over him. "I thought, you know-"

"-Uh-huh. Of _course." _Luka was still grinning smugly.

"-I'm going to the garden," Len grumbled in defeat and left.

~ONE ROSE~

"So... Is this your garden?"

Len looked up with shock. 2:00 in the afternoon was surprisingly warm. The grounds were enchanted, so the inner grounds were warm, but the outer ring was rigid, cold, and snowy.

"No," said Len sarcastically. "It's the bathroom." He bit his tongue when Rin's smile faltered and sighed, running his hand through his shock of golden bangs. "Sit down," he offered in a bit of an edgy voice.

Rin plopped down, paying no heed to her dress getting dirty. Len winced, but turned to tend to his crocuses. They were a magnificent violet and indigo shade.

"They're so pretty," Rin said, hushed. "May I have one?"

"_No!" _Len growled, snapping at her. Rin's sunshine smile dropped and she moved back, scooting away from him.

"O-Okay, Len. Um...I'm going to go help Gakupo." she stammered, twisting her dress in her hands. Len's heart thrummed slightly, and he instinctively shot his hand out to grab her wrist. His face flamed up the slightest and he tugged her back.

"C... Come... Come back."

Rin stared, her cerulean eyes the size of plates. She quickly nodded and sat down next to him again. Both of them were blushing, but Len broke the silence.

"...S..." He choked out. "S...Sor..." He face contorted a little bit and he frowned. "Sorry." The word felt unfamiliar and rough on his tongue.

Rin laughed brightly. "It's fine, Len!" He quickly snapped a crocus from its stem and took a strand of her hair. He wound the flower into her gold hair and quickly looked away.

"You look nice," he said quickly. The sharpness returned to his voice and eyes and he frowned. "But don't ask for more, or else they'll be gone quicker than we can count."

"Thank you, Len..." Rin said, her voice bubbling with happiness. "It's gorgeous..."

"It's not a big deal, Rin."

"You're wrong, Len." said Rin suddenly. "You keep saying it's not a big deal, but it is. Was it not a big deal when you saved my life? You could have just let me die, but you came to my defense. So...Y...You may pretend like you don't care, but you do, Len! And just now, did you know? You said it's not a big deal again, but this is the happiest that you've made me since I left home, Len!" Her eyes sparked with sincerity and she smiled again, touching the petal of the crocus.

Len stared at her and his eyes softened just the slightest. "...You're welcome, Rin."

Rin boldly leaned forward, resting her head softly on Len's shoulder. He jerked like he'd been stabbed in the waist and flinched slightly, but found the weight on his shoulder, ironically, to be quite comforting.

There was someone with him. A _girl. _And she wasn't scared, she wasn't running away. He wasn't terrifying her- He was being (halfway) nice to her, he was being (sort of) kind.

And it felt... _good._

He looked over to see her eyes closed, her golden eyelashes fluttering slightly. Her milky porcelain skin was smooth, probably soft to the touch-

Len abruptly shook her off. Rin's eyes flew open as her head fell a few inches.

"Why." She grumbled beneath her breath. "And I was so comfortable, too..."

But she stopped when she saw Len's face. He looked tight. Rigid, and uncomfortable. He clenched his fists and Rin heard a deep growl rise up inside of him.

"You should go help Gakupo now."

If there was anything Rin had learned, it was not to question Len. She hurried to her feet, nodded quickly, and raced into the castle.

Surely, Len had his reasons to ruin the moment.

~ONE ROSE~

It was late. The hunter sat at the bar, alone, with only the bartender pacing next to him.

"Ah, Rin, you're such a difficulty to find." his voice purred silkily. "If it weren't your hand in prize, I would have cut the case. But no, I'm persistent. I will find you."

He analyzed the picture. A tense desire rose in his heart- Wicked lust glinted in the turquoise irises. He lazily drew a finger along the side of her face, imagining brushing her golden hair from it.

She really was a catch- If he could find her.

But he wasn't one to close off gossip. He'd heard of the Beast's castle, intriguing and beautiful. But not as intriguing and beautiful as this girl.

He smirked again, laying the paper thin picture onto the tabletop.

"I'll hunt you down, _Beauty." _He ran his sharp tongue along his upper lip and grinned fiercely. His teeth glinted in the dim light and he sighed. "And it wouldn't hurt to get rid of the Beast as well. I wonder what unimaginable horrors he's doing to you? You must be so terrified."

~ONE ROSE~

"No, Len!" Rin hollered at him. "That's my foot!" She winced as he threw his entire weight onto her poor toes.

"Tsk," Luka clicked her teeth. "No no, you have to swish, Len. Your movements are too tight and rigid. They have to flow gracefully-" To accentuate, Luka twirled, her pink hair billowing behind her in a wave. Len hissed.

"You never said that I'd have to learn to waltz with _Rin! _The reason I was learning was because-!" Len broke off, growling, and dropped Rin's hand. "How infuriating. This is absolutely ridiculous."

"You're giving up, aren't you?" Rin said, sighing. She quickly evaded his heavy footfall and hastily added, "Perhaps a break would be nice."

Luka rolled her eyes to the ceiling and dropped her hands. "As you wish." Len quickly dropped Rin's hand and folded his arms.

"I hate dancing."

Yuki twirled around, her pirouettes albeit clumsy. "How dreamy! This is like the romance stories Luka tells me in the cabinet!"

Luka smiled tenderly. "Let's go help Gakupo prepare dinner."

"Come on, Rin!" Yuki grabbed Rin's hand and dragged the laughing girl behind her. Although he appeared to be observing coldly, Len's heart was a little warm. He was glad to see Rin happy like this. At least she wasn't screaming and running away, like he expected her to.

As they set the table for dinner, Rin turned to Len.

"If you practice every day," Rin said earnestly, "You will become an amazing dancer, Len!" She licked chocolate off her finger and smiled sweetly. "I'm sure of it."

Suddenly, there was a loud chime, and ringing bells filled the castle and echoed off the walls.

"Oh," Luka said, surprised. "I think...Miku's here."


	6. Chapter 6

The castle went into a flutter. Gakupo slid the pastries into the preheated oven so fast that he burnt his fingers. Luka and Yuki brewed the tea and Gumi hurried around the kitchen, sweeping like mad. Len smoothed down his suit and briskly walked to the door to open it for Miku. Rin followed shyly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

The door opened, and Rin's mouth slowly extended past her face.

A goddess-like beauty stood on the front porch, her posture straight and elegant. Her gloved white hand dusted an invisible speck of dust off of her shoulder and she let herself in, her gait mellifluous. She had large emerald eyes and sweeping turquoise pigtails that extended well past her feet. Her gown was fitted to her slim waist and ballooned out into a skirt that could easily fit Rin, with space to spare.

"Miku," Len bowed politely. He was still stiff, his eyes still icy, but Rin could tell there was a friendship between the two.

"It's been two years, Len," Miku dropped into a curtsy. "How have you been? Ever since you vanished for a year, I've been so worried." Her tone was light, airy and sweet. She hooked her arm around Len's.

Rin suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. She felt so childish compared to this lady. She bit her lip and backed into the kitchen, smashing into Luka. Luka smiled warmly at her, touching Rin on the shoulder.

"Don't feel intimidated by Miku- She's only a friend to Len."

_What does she mean? _Rin wondered as Luka, holding the tea tray, waltzed into the room where Len and Miku were seated.

"I don't like her very much- She called me a brat when I spilled coffee on her dress last time she came to visit. I remember, and I was only seven!" Yuki stuck out her tongue.

Gakupo chuckled without humor. "Miku has a personality only known to the staff. We like to call it 'snobby.' Very snobby."

"Oh," Rin bit her lip again and ruffled Yuki's hair. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's changed. After all, two years is a long time."

"I hope so," Gumi muttered. "Because I do not like her at all."

Rin smiled at her. "Gumi, you don't keep your opinions to yourself, do you?"

"Why should I?" Gumi snorted. "They're my opinions."

Rin peeked into the room again and noticed Miku beckoning to her.

"Maid, come here!" she called. "Take my cup."

Rin looked behind her, but there was no one there. Then, realization came upon her.

_She thinks I'm a maid!_

Rin blushed hotly, offended that Miku had just called her that. But she then realized it would be better if she acted like a maid so she wouldn't seem like a threat to Miku. She composed herself and fluidly came up to Miku, taking up the teacup.

Len frowned at her, opening his mouth, but Rin shook her head and curtsied politely to Miku, who was even prettier up close.

Miku turned her small nose up and frowned at Rin. "You need to train your maids a little bit harder, Len. This one just looked at me foolishly before coming out, as if a command was uncommon."

This time Len glared at Rin, who was still shaking her head. He wanted to intervene, she could tell. But why make a scene? It was only until tomorrow evening. But yet, anger rose up in Rin and she bit her tongue, smiling serenely. How she wanted to hit this woman!

"I'm so sorry, Miss." she curtsied again. "My deepest apologies." With that, she hurried back into the kitchen.

Gakupo looked curiously at her. "What just happened out there? You look ready to kill."

"Ugh!" Rin seethed. "Who does she think she is? She made me so mad, I wanted to slap her!"

"Now you understand," Gumi rolled her eyes. "Hit her! I implore you."

"Oh..." Rin sighed. "It doesn't matter. I'll put up with her until tomorrow evening."

"Maid! Maid! Hurry and come here! I need a cloth!"

"Is she talking to _you, _Rin?" Gumi asked. Everyone turned to Rin and she nodded.

"Yeah, she thinks I'm a maid." Rin grabbed a cloth and steadily walked towards Miku.

"Wipe my mouth for me." Miku demanded. Len clenched his fists, and Rin knew that he didn't like people commanding things in his castle. Still, Rin knelt down slightly and ran the cloth along Miku's lips gently, resisting the urge to stuff it into her mouth.

"I want you to come with me- You have the honor of being my maid until I leave." Miku said loudly, and Rin groaned inwardly.

_The honor? THE HONOR?_

Len shook his head, standing up. "Miku,-"

"Of course, Miss." Rin bowed her head. "It would be my pleasure." She followed Miku, giving an angry glance to an even angrier Len.

Dread coursed through her and she sighed, dragging herself up the stairs. What was this witch going to make her do?

~ONE ROSE~

"I don't understand!" Len scowled, tapping his foot. "Why does she want to pretend to be a maid? I don't like seeing Miku treat her like that."

"While that's very sweet, Len, you know Miku likes you." Luka said. "She will torment Rin if she found out that she was your 'Rose,' and that she wasn't your maid. How would you explain a pretty young girl in your castle? All kinds of assumptions will be made."

"But she was humiliating Rin," he growled. "And I don't like the way she treats any of you-"

"Oh, be quiet, Len. She doesn't want to make a scene, god." Gumi rolled her eyes again and swatted the broom handle. "And she's not even going to be 24 hours. Soon, she'll be gone."

"And she's still a friend, Len, even if she's not a very close one," Gakupo reminded him. "She believes that you enjoy her presence, and you do, if just a little bit. Make a good impression, just for a few hours."

Len frowned, but then sighed, complying to the order.

"I would like dinner to be very fancy tonight," he commanded. "All the décor up, the dishes delicious, the afterwards tea perfect. This night will show Miku the best of the staff- And she will leave with a good impression."

~ONE ROSE~

Rin braided together Miku's turquoise hair and nodded, exhausted.

"I'm done."

"I don't like it." Miku said. "Do it again." She pulled out the rubber band and destroyed Rin's hard work with a comb of her fingers. Rin stared at the back of her head and pulled a grimace as Miku tapped her foot, examining her flawless fingernails. "Come on, maid. I don't have all day. I want to be beautiful for the dinner with Len."

Rin stayed silent, but inside, her own beast was raging. What a ridiculous woman! Her commands, her words, her actions...She had never truly hated someone before, but Miku was starting to run for that award.

"Okay, that's good. Now clean my shoes." Rin knelt and Miku plopped her shoe right into her lap. Rin glared at her foot and took the cloth, scrubbing furiously at the turquoise heels. Miku loftily tapped Rin's head. "I want it cleaner than that. I must be able to see my reflection in them."

Rin polished her shoes and Miku finally dragged her feet from Rin's lap.

"Now clean my face with a warm washcloth. I don't want it hot or cold! Just warm." Rin took a cloth, and, out of pure hatred, thrust it under boiling water. She smacked it onto Miku's face, and Miku screeched quietly.

"That's too hot!"

"My apologies." Having to say sorry was only a small price to pay for the trick. She adjusted the water and cleaned Miku's face.

"You know," Miku said. "I look perfect just the way I am. Len will fall in love with me when I am more than perfect! Maid, you must make me dazzle him!"

Rin's fists clenched and her fingers twitched. She had the sudden repressible urge to tear out Miku's hair. Turning, Rin grabbed the make up set.

It was a long five hours before Miku was completely flawless, and Rin felt a twinge of pride when she saw Miku's peacock-like beauty.

"You look beautiful," Miku purred to her temporary mirror. "Go on, maid, and introduce me."

"Yes, Miss." Rin curtsied and flew down the stairs, escaping the stuffy heat of the room. She smashed into Len, who was in the kitchen.

"Rin." he said icily, still in a bad mood that she wasn't letting him commend Miku. Rin moaned in despair and almost fainted on the ground, she was so tired. Len looked down, startled, and frowned. "Are you okay?"

"No." Rin groaned to the floor. "No, I am _not _okay."

"Is she overworking you?" Len felt himself prickle in annoyance. Rin pulled herself up to her feet and bitterly said,

"I now present Her Loveliness, Miku Hatsune."

She waved at the entrance to the dining room and Miku tiptoed in. Len felt his jaw drop.

What had Rin done to Miku that made her glow so much? He scratched his head and frowned at Rin. She must have worked so hard on Miku. Rin was looking pleased at his reaction though, and she rolled her eyes.

"Go on."

Len uncomfortably rubbed his neck and walked out, offering Miku his hand. She happily accepted it and walked to the table, where they sat close to each other. Again Rin felt a pang of jealousy. She moved to side as Gakupo walked past her, laden with delicious smelling food.

She snatched an apple off a tray and Gakupo swatted her shoulder as he set the table.

It was a wonderfully deceiving facade of innocence that Miku put up for Len. Her eyes brimmed with vulnerability and her actions were cute and simple. She ate meager amounts of food, _constantly _complimenting Gakupo.

When dessert- A beautiful coffee cake iced with flowers and beautiful little swirls- came around, Rin watched as Miku fed Len delicate pieces of cake. It made her want to gag.

At least Len didn't look as though he was enjoying himself. There was a dull shine in his eyes and his head was held up with his palm. He opened his mouth and closed it, chewing on the cake, but he looked desperately bored.

Rin giggled beneath her hand, and then Miku called for her.

"Maid! Come here!"

Rin sighed, walking outside into the room. She dared not look at Len. "What do you need, Miss?"

"Blow on my tea! It's too hot!"

Rin complied, bending a little bit to gently blow on the hot tea.

"Don't you think this one is too pretty to be a maid?" Miku finally observed, turning Rin's head. "She's dressed a bit too nicely." It was the first (backhanded) compliment that she had given Rin.

Len gave a small, knowing glance, at Rin, and spoke up. "That's because-"

"I am a head maid." Rin smiled benignly.

"Ah, so I picked the perfect one for myself." Miku said, fooled again. She got to her feet. "This delicious supper has made me drowsy. I will see you tomorrow morning, Len. I enjoyed it _immensely._ Maid! Come with me."

Rin trailed after Miku, and Gakupo came to clear out the dishes.

"Poor Rin." he said sympathetically.

"Yes," Len agreed, a strange look on his face. "...Poor Rin."

~ONE ROSE~

It was late at night, nearly ten o' clock. Rin sat outside Miku's room, fatigued. Miku didn't want any secret 'attackers,' so she'd made Rin keep guard for her.

Just then, Len's door opened and he stepped out. When he saw Rin, he looked taken aback.

"Rin? Why are you up so late?" Len himself was yawning, his icy eyes reaching deep into her.

"Keeping guard for Her Highness," Rin replied softly, not wanting a commotion with Miku.

"That's just ridiculous. Go to bed, Rin."

"It doesn't matter," Rin said.

"This is my castle." Len didn't like her disobeying him constantly like this. Rin was such a stubborn person. "I can _order _you to do whatever I want, _maid. _And I'm asking you to go to bed."

Two could play at this acting game, _Rin._

Rin glared at him, her eyes tired.

He glared back.

"I'll go in ten minutes."

Len sighed, but walked back into his room. He came back, holding a blanket. He tossed it on Rin and nodded once as she wrapped herself in it, her eyes slipping. "If you're going to be sleeping here, then-"

Rin was already asleep, softly breathing through her mouth with her head nestled against the blanket.

Len almost smiled and headed back into his room.

~ONE ROSE~

"Wake _up, _maid!"

Rin sat up, startled. The castle was still dark, and, observing the clock, she realized she'd only been asleep for an hour. It was just eleven o' clock.

"What is it?"

"I want another cup of tea." Miku said loftily, her arms crossed. "Go get me one."

Rin had to bite her tongue so hard that it was extremely painful. She struggled to get off the couch and untangle herself from the blanket. She made her way downstairs into the kitchen.

"What in the world are you doing up so late?" She turned to see Luka holding a candle and sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Miku wants tea." she grumbled, heating up some leftover tea on the stove. "She's so annoying! Ugh."

"Tea this late?" Luka asked in dismay. She helped Rin pour the steaming tea into a teapot and put it on a tray with a pastry and a cup. "Go on, there's nothing we can do."

Rin hurried upstairs. Just as she turned-

SMASH!

She crashed right into Miku, who was still standing in the hallway.

The boiling hot tea spilled all over Miku's hair, face, and clothes. A bit splashed onto Rin, and Rin stepped back,staring at Miku.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry-"

"You klutz!" Miku screeched, pulling her hair in anger. Rin had to admit that she was klutzy- It was something she'd inherited from her father. Stammering, she backed away.

"I'll get a cloth for you-"

"You silly maid!" Miku was still screaming. She pushed Rin- _hard- _back against the wall and Rin slid to the ground, shaking in anger.

"_I am not a-"_

"This was my best silk nightgown! How would you like it if I poured tea on you?" Miku snatched what was left of the tea and held it over Rin's hair. Rin waited for the liquid, but looked up to see a hand in the way, catching the tea in _his _palm.

Len's eyes were hard and cold, like sapphires. The tea barely splashed over his hands and Miku gaped at him.

"L...Len?"

"She's not a maid," Len stated quietly. "She's a very important guest, actually. She wanted to let you think that so you wouldn't misunderstand."

Miku stuttered, staring at Rin. Rin looked intently at the floor, studying its patterns. "Why is she here?-!"

"Like I said, she's a very important guest. I would like you to stop mistreating her. Now, if you'd like, the bathroom is over there. Go clean yourself off."

Still in a daze, Miku nodded. She slowly backed away, and hurried into the bathroom, shielding her eyes. Rin thought she heard a muffled sob before she shut the door.

She sighed and got to her feet. On second thought, she reached down and began gathering pieces of porcelain. The teapot was cracked, but still held tea. The teacup was not so lucky. Len watched her tensely, waiting for her to say something.

Suddenly, there was a chime that flew through the castle. An enormous shudder raced through Len and when Rin blinked, he loomed before her, monstrous and a Beast yet again. Rin knew she would never quite get used to Len in this form. He breathed heavily and backed into his room.

"Take care of her," he said roughly. "I can't let her see me like this."

"Thank you Len," Rin said softly. "I'll watch her."

He slammed the door with more force than needed.

_Why is he in such a bad mood?_

Len paced in his room agitatedly, hearing Miku come out of the bathroom.

"Where did Len go?" Her voice was tight and upset. Len heard Rin softly reply,

"He was tired, and decided to go to bed. It would be wise not to talk to him right now."

"Why did you pretend you were a maid?" Miku shot at Rin.

"Because I didn't want you jumping to conclusions about Len and I."

"Len and you?" Miku's voice asked icily. Len growled softly at the door as Rin replied.

"Go to bed, Miku. He won't talk to you. He's probably already asleep."

"No, he's not!" Miku's voice yelled and she stomped her foot against the marble. Her voice rose into a miserable wail. "Why doesn't he like me?"

_Because I'm sick of the way you treat everyone I care a little bit about._

"Go to bed, Miku." Was all Rin said. He heard her gentle steps as she guided Miku to the bed. Rin was such a pushover. She must have been feeling a little sympathy for Miku. If Len were in her place, he would have left Miku crying there and just walked out.

He heard Rin shut Miku's door and sigh.

He waited.

For ten minutes.

But Rin's door never closed.

He frowned and peeked outside just a tad. Rin was slouched against Miku's door, sleeping deeply. He watched her sleep for a few seconds and clenched his teeth. To wake her up now would be just plain cruel, even for his standards. He looked to make sure Gumi, Luka, Gakupo, or Yuki weren't watching and slung Rin into his arms. Her head dropped against his chest and Len stiffened as it made contact. He quietly slipped into Rin's room and lay her on her bed. He pulled the cover over her and then scowled disgustedly.

Was he being _nice? _What in the _world...?_

"Hehe...Thank you, Len." hummed a sleepy voice. Len cursed and turned to see Teto's knowing smile, stretching across her doors. "She has to wake up early to stop Miku from figuring out about us. She'll sleep well now."

"Whatever." Len snapped, huffing into his room and shutting the door.

_What _was happening to him?

**Wow! This story has a lot of reviews- More than I expected. XDDDDD Thanks! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys :D

**IMPORTANT! This will be the last update for a while, guys. I have school soon, and a whole load of Honors subjects and crap like that. I'll try to update, but I don't know when the next one will be.  
****Therefore, I'm telling you now, I love you all. Thank you so much for reviewing, it means _so much. _  
I hope to see you guys soon! **

Rin woke up early the next morning, to find herself in her own bed.

_How did I get here?_

She shook off the thought and sat up.

"Rin," warbled Teto. "You have to hurry. Miku is already yelling at Len's door." Indeed, Rin heard the girl sobbing as she yelled. She threw off the covers and dragged herself outside, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. The blur in her eyes adjusted as she squinted at the figure.

"Miku," she said softly, a headache beginning to form. "Please, stop yelling." Said girl whipped around to glare hatefully at Rin.

"He won't come out," she cried. The smooth composure of the elegant woman had completely cracked like a broken mirror. Her makeup was smeared and her full lips were quivering madly.

"I know. Give him some time. He'll come down at lunch, all right?" Rin walked over, boldly tugging Miku's arm a little. She yanked away from Rin's touch angrily.

"I want to talk to him _now!"_

Rin sighed. "Go get ready. Fix yourself up and wear something nice. I'm sure he'll come down by then."

"Who are _you _to tell me what to do?" Miku yelled at her suddenly, giving her a shove. Rin scowled.

"I'm _not._ You can stand here all you want but he _won't _come down past twelve. Have fun." She went back to her own bedroom and slammed the door. A minute later, she heard the bathroom door open and smiled to herself.

~ONE ROSE~

"Where is everyone." Miku demanded to know. Rin peeked into the kitchen to see a teacup clatter to a stop and sit still. She grinned and went back to Miku, forcing her face into neutrality.

"They're all busy."

"Yes, but where's the chef?" she asked bossily, plopping down in a chair. "I'm hungry you know."

Rin glared at her. She could put up with Miku's demands when she was pretending to be a maid, but now that Miku knew, this was unacceptable.

"Understand something," Rin said, leaning forward and placing her palms on the table. "I'm not your maid anymore. I pretended to be, but I am not- And never will be. The chef is not in there right now. He's out buying items, along with Luka. Can you cook?"

Miku flushed red in suppressed anger and the two girls stared at each other.

"Can you-?' Rin began to repeat.

"Yes I can!" Miku snapped. "I'm not just a rich girl. I can do some stuff."

"Then come to the kitchen. You can use anything." Rin beckoned to her, and after a moment, Miku followed.

Rin occupied herself with getting Miku the items she needed. Miku didn't use a recipe book- She did everything on her own. She even cracked eggs deftly with one hand- On one try. She poured the batter onto a pan on the stove and spread it with a spatula. Soon, a delicious smell wafted into the air.

"Mmmm," Rin sighed, sniffing the air. "It smells good."

Miku upturned her nose. "Of course it does. I am a pretty good cook, you know."

"I can see that." Rin said, glancing at the plate that now held chocolate chip pancakes. "Do...Do you mind if I-?"

"Can't you cook?" Miku asked, looking at her with narrowed eyes. Rin sheepishly shook her head.

"No, I can't. I've never even been able to cook. I burn water." she admitted, scuffling her feet.

Miku looked at her with something akin to pity, but it vanished so fast that Rin was sure she was imagining it.

"_Fine." _Miku said, exasperated. "You can have some. Let's go to the dining room."

Rin followed behind the older girl and they both sat down. There was silence for a few minutes, save their chewing and swallowing. Finally, Rin asked,

"So...Why do you love Len so much?"

Miku glared at her. "Don't ask things so bluntly. I love him because he's so perfect. He's kind, and he's loyal. Why else? Also, he's very handsome."

_Kind? Not a word I would use to describe Len._

"Oh," Rin said in a small voice, lapsing into a silence. She watched Miku, who had a sort of numbness in her eyes and entire face.

"And why is it your business?" Miku scoffed. "You're just a lowly ma-"

Rin raised her eyebrows and Miku sighed. "Oh yeah. So why are you here anyways?"

"Actually," Rin said, her imagination beginning to weave a good story. "I was outside, and I was really sick, yeah? And Len found me out there. The staff took me in, but I can't remember what happened. That's why I'm here- At least until I regain my memories." She thought she heard the oven clang and shot a dirty unnoticed glare at the kitchen. Evidently someone knew that she was lying.

"Hm," Miku made a noise of interest, but Rin could tell her mind was still on a certain blond-haired boy. Or Beast.

Tentatively, Rin made her way into the kitchen, holding their plates. She gave them a quick rinse, and then got swatted with the handle of a broomstick.

"Tell me when you get your memories back," Gumi snickered quietly.

"Shut up, you." Rin stuck her tongue at her and Gakupo chuckled. She hurried back into the kitchen where Miku was sitting, staring into space.

"Anyways, Miku." Rin said, "What time is it now?" She looked up at the clock. "10:30? We have an hour and a half to kill." Miku stood up, slipping her gloves back on.

"I want to go to the market," Miku said abruptly. "I want to walk around a little bit. I'm bored of the castle." Rin looked up, unsure.

_Can I leave the grounds?_

"I'll be right back," she said hastily to Miku, and then went back to the kitchen. She knelt next to the teapot and spoke quietly. "Luka? Can I leave the grounds?"

"Accompanied, yes." Luka said in a whisper. "But only if one of us come with you. Why don't you keep Yuki in your bag? She's small enough."

"All right," Rin said softly. Yuki bounced towards Rin and giggled.

"Yay! I get to go outside!"

Rin grinned as she placed Yuki into her pouch and hurried back to Miku. "Why don't we go, then?"

"I'm ready," Miku stretched, standing up. Rin was in a gown she'd worn a few days ago, and she thought it looked fine. The girls headed to the door and stepped out. Accompanied, Rin saw the illusion that Miku saw- Instead of the snow, there was green grass and lush flowers and meadows, all the way down to the marketplace.

Rin wandered around, taking in the smells of the marketplace- Sweet, spicy, bitter. She aimlessly looked around.

Suddenly, she began to notice the looks that Miku was getting- She was royal, after all.

Uncomfortably, Rin spoke in a whisper.

"You should have asked a guard to follow you, Miku. I fear for your safety."

"Oh, please." Miku scoffed. "No one would dare try anything. Look how bright it is outside! They would be fools."

"Well, lookie here!"

Rin twitched. She recalled those voices. Dread coursing through her, she turned to see Akaito, Rei, and Nero.

"What's your name again?" Nero drawled, coming over to her. "Whatcha doing out here without Lenny?"

"Um. It's Rin." Rin said, nudging Miku, who'd also stopped and turned around. "We were just taking a walk."

"Hm," Rei smirked at her, sauntering over to Miku. "And who are you, gorgeous?"

"You are in the presence of Miku Hatsune." Miku said haughtily, making a face. "Ugh!" She slapped Rei's hand away. "Let's go."

"It was nice seeing you all," Rin said tipping her head. She and Miku turned to leave.

Suddenly, Rin let out a squeak as Akaito took her arm and spun her so she crashed right into him. Rei pulled Miku forward, giving her a sleazy grin.

"Ah, but we could have so much more fun in a group." Nero said as they tugged Miku and Rin away from the crowd. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"Um...No thank you..." Rin struggled to get away, but Akaito's grip was like iron.

"Oh, please, Rin." Akaito snickered. "Trust us. We won't do anything wrong. We're good guys."

_I seriously doubt that._

"Hey, stop that!" Miku growled at Rei. "Stop touching me, you sick pervert!"

"Oh, now isn't that a little harsh?" he complained.

Rin let out a sudden, shrill, scream, startling Akaito. "HELP! HELP US! WE'RE BEING KIDNAPPED!"

Miku joined in. "HEEEEEELP!"

"Man, you girls. What are your lungs, iron?" Nero winced as Rei grinned darkly.

"No one can hear you over the commotion. And in case you haven't noticed, this place is _quite _empty, dears. Try not to waste your voices away."

Rin and Miku exchanged scared glances. These guys weren't joking- They were seriously going to hurt them. Rin dragged her shoes into the mud and strained against Akaito. He just yanked her roughly, so she began to punch him.

"Let-me-go!" She said between punches. He held her at arm's length and glared at Nero.

"Help me! Rin is feisty. She's putting up a real fight here."

"No, help me! This one's trying to bite me." Rei hissed in pain as Miku caught his fingers. Nero pulled a switchblade from his pocket and stood in front of Rin and Miku threateningly.

"Now you'd better listen to me," he said starkly, waving the blade in front of their eyes. "Shut up and cooperate, or I'll leave pieces and send them to Len with love. _Rin, _I'm _sure _he'll never find you here, so if he's the one you're thinking about, give up."

Indeed, Rin had been thinking, but now she formulated a plan. She peeked at Yuki in her pouch and quickly dropped her hands.

"Oh, _no," _she said. "Please don't hurt us." Her eyes grew large, dewy and innocent. "I'll do whatever you say. I promise!"

Miku stared at her, but Rin enlarged her eyes meaningfully. Miku quickly nodded.

"Yes," she whimpered. "Please don't hurt us." Akaito and Rei exchanged glances and released them. Nero walked behind, prodding the blade between Rin's shoulders. "Walk obediently, or I swear, this blade will go right through your skin."

Rin quickly nodded. These boys, at first glance, were just raucous, obnoxious, and mischievous, but now Rin was slowly realizing that they had darker intentions.

_Much _darker intentions.

There was a small, shabby, bar just ahead, shadowed with a crumbling overhang. Nero shoved Rin and Miku inside. There were only two other men, sitting with drinks at the round table. The scraggly bartender looked up and grinned toothlessly at Rin and Miku.

"Ah, I see you brought tender and young ones?"

"We're not chickens!" Rin snapped. Miku glared at her, and Rin remembered her act. She curled up to Akaito, who looked at her, startled by her change of attitude. "Please...You're strong! Don't let him hurt us." she cooed, setting her hand on his chest. In all honesty, she had no clue how to pull off a flirty damsel in distress, but she put her all in acting anyways.

But inwardly, she gagged.

Akaito smirked at Rei, who was receiving the same from Miku.

"Oh," Miku whispered, resting her head on his chest. "You're so strong. So much...Muscle..."

"Oi, take them to the back room." Nero snapped. "Go on."

"You're just jealous that she didn't call you strong," Rei grinned at him, and Akaito nodded, pushing Rin into the room. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll come back for you soon." He touched her cheek and Rin grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave..." she nuzzled against his palm, and he smirked.

"You know, I love this side of you, Rin." He nodded. "I'll be back in half an hour."

"That's too long!" Miku sighed. "Please come sooner!"

"We'll try," Rei hesitated. "Bye for now." Nero, grumbling, slammed the door shut and locked it. They were in a crumbling sort of storage room, and Rin knew that if she smacked her fist into the wall, it would (probably) fall to pieces. Instead, she focused on a small hole next to the door.

A hole the _perfect _size for a teacup.

But how would she pull it off with Miku next to her?

"So what's your great plan?" Miku wiped her palms on her dress. "That was revolting."

"Rest," Rin said firmly. "We need our strength. I'll tell you the plan in a bit."

"Do you even have a plan?" she frowned, and Rin nodded.

"I do. But rest for now."

Luckily, Miku was tired after the ordeal, and she had woken up early to yell at Len. She leaned against the wall, her breaths growing longer and longer. Soon, she had fallen asleep.

Rin let out a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Yuki from her bag.

"Rin! Who were those boys? What's happening?" She bounced in fear. "Do you need me to do something?"

"Actually, yes." Rin said. She got onto her stomach, looking straight into Yuki's eyes. "It's very important, and very dangerous. Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Of course, Rin! Just tell me!" Yuki jumped up again.

"First off, do you know the way to the castle?" she whispered urgently.

"Uh...Yeah." Yuki hesitated, but then nodded.

"Okay, I want you to get out of the bar and get back to the castle, all right? Get Len and bring him to us, okay? Can you do that?"

"Yeah!" Yuki bounced through the hole and turned to Rin "I'll come back soon, Rin! With Len!"

Rin waved to her and sat up. Now all she could do was hope...

~ONE ROSE~

Yuki skidded through the hole, peeking up at the bartender.

"Oi, those two cuties in there. I wonder how much they'll last?"

Ignoring him, Yuki bounced towards the open door. She looked back at the hole, and then, inhaling, she jumped out.

The large and empty street spanned in front of her, but Yuki had been here as a little girl. Len had saved her from being hurt by two horrible boys who'd always bullied her.

She took a turn, and then immediately dove out of the way as she was almost crushed. She felt a scrape along her porcelain and squeaked, sheltering in front of a fruit stall.

She bounced along the edge of the road. From here, she could see Len's towering castle, tall and imposing. Just then, she felt a familiar tingle.

She threw herself gently behind an antiques stall, and convulsed, twitching as she took her on her true form. Now a girl, she straightened.

"Hey! What are you doing there?" screeched a stout woman. She shoved Yuki out onto the street. "Away with you, brat!"

Yuki scowled and adjusted one of her black pigtails. She stuck out her tongue at the woman's back and hurried towards the castle.

She scrambled up the now snowy terrain and climbed up, using ice and rocks as stepping stones.

Her hands were cold and scarred, but she remembered Rin and Miku, scared and alone, and kicked her legs, vaulting up onto the grass. She raced to the door, panting as she knocked furiously.

"Yuki?" said Gumi, stunned, as she opened it. "Where...Where are Rin and Miku?"

"They were kidnapped!" Yuki flailed her arms and pushed past Gumi. Len was descending the stairs, buttoning the little gold pearls on his black jacket. She raced to the foot of the stairs and grabbed his coat.

"Yuki?" Len frowned, also uttering her name. "Step aside, please. Where is Rin?"

Yuki didn't bother noticing that he didn't include Miku. She started crying hopelessly, mentally wishing that Rin and Miku were okay and those boys hadn't hurt them.

"What's wrong?" Len sounded a little bit concerned, now, and the ice in his eyes thawed a little bit.

"They were taken, Len." She wailed, wiping her eyes.

"Who was taken?" Len asked, kneeling on the step. "Yuki, calm down and tell me what happened."

"Rin and Miku went to the market together, because Rin wanted to occupy Miku and stop her from noticing about us and you," Yuki waved her hands, and Len scowled.

"Why would they go to the market alone? They're girls, and they're young, too... So mindless... Wait." Urgency crossed into Len's eyes and his face went dead serious. "When you said, 'they were taken...'"

"Yeah!" Yuki said frantically. "These three boys! They snatched them away!" She began crying again.

"Yuki," Len said in a deadly voice. "I want you to tell me where they are. Calm down, and tell me. They are in danger. Who knows what those three will do..."

_Rin's life is in danger._

"Okay... Okay." Yuki hiccuped. "You know where you found me, Len, right? There's a bar there...!"

"Say no more, Yuki." Len straightened and hurried to the door, throwing it open. "I know what you're talking about. Did Rin send you?"

"Yeah...She took me along, so she sent me to come find you..." Yuki rubbed her eyes.

"Smart," said Len quietly. "Thank you, Yuki." He crossed the floor and, as if he didn't know what else to do, awkwardly touched her head. "Thank you for coming to find me. It was the right thing."

Yuki threw her arms around him and he froze stiffly. "Please bring them back! Or else..." she sniffled, and Len awkwardly wrapped one arm around her.

"I will." He untangled himself and walked outside, slamming the door shut.

Gumi came over and hugged her reassuringly. "When Len puts his mind to something, it will happen, Yuki, promise. Now, did you see that hug he gave you? Len gives hugs? Since when?"

Yuki shrugged, wiping her tears away with a small fist. "Maybe it's because of Rin."

Gumi stared at the door, a weird look in her eyes.

"Yeah... Maybe."

~ONE ROSE~

Len purposefully strode down, navigating easily through the snow and rocks. He got to the marketplace within minutes, dark intent evident in his eyes.

_Those three. Are going. To die._

For the first time, he felt a transform wanting to come on due to rage.

Len had never felt anger or protectiveness over a person, but just the thought of Rin being subjected to their madness made. His. Blood. _Boil._

He twitched a little bit, a guttural growl in his throat. Realizing what was happening, he forced himself to calm down. He couldn't risk transforming here, not with all these innocent people milling around.

He remembered that it was not only Rin, but also Miku, and he hurried faster, racing towards the familiar bar. It was here that he'd found Yuki, whom, after being rescued, begged him for a place to stay. He let her work as Luka's assistant, because Luka couldn't resist Yuki's 'cuteness.'  
It had taken him half an hour, at his fastest, just to get here, so it had probably taken Yuki at least an hour.  
By then...

Len threw open the door, letting it slam into the wall. He walked right up to the bartender, grabbing the skinny man's throat and drawing him near.

The man's eyes enlarged to the size of plates and he croaked, kicking his legs.

"Where are the two girls that Akaito, Rei, and Nero brought here?" he hissed between his teeth. "I won't ask you again." The bartender shook beneath Len's furious glare, and Len rattled him.

"Tell me."

"In the back room!" He wheezed. "Please...!" Len threw the man back and pried open the back door.

It swung easily, and Len stared into the room.

Rin looked up at him from Akaito's grip, her eyes huge.

"Len?"

**Oops. So maybe it was a cliffhanger?**

**Hehehe...*runs***

**I hope to see you guys soon...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys. So your sweet reviews made me so happy, that I got my ass in gear and finished the chapter. Plus, I left you with a cliffhanger! Just couldn't do that, could I?  
**

**Truth? I had to do medical research on this one. So if you want to be all, "No way! She should have died!", uh, no. I did my research. :)**

Len just continued looking at her.

Now, it would have been less awful if Akaito was just holding Rin. But instead, he was holding her in the worst way possible, and Len saw explosions of red.

One hand, holding a knife, no less, was just at the back of Rin's throat. The other hand, Len noticed, his eyes traveling downwards, was in a worse place, holding up a good amount of the gown. Akaito quickly dropped the skirt (a wise choice, because Len looked ready to kill) and growled, spinning Rin around to face him. He gave her a wicked shake.

"How? HOW? How is he here?" Rin shook her head, relief written all over her face. Miku clasped her hands and her eyes lit up. She was on the ground, looking mussed up but unharmed.

Len stepped forward, his hands shaking with fury.

"I dare you," Akaito said wildly, making the worst mistake of his life: He pressed the blunt side of the knife against Rin's throat, nearly drawing blood. "I dare you to come anywhere near her. I will slice her to bits."

"Why are you doing this?" Len roared at him, his rationality crumbling to pieces. "What has she ever done to you? I thought you were joking!"

"That's what everyone thinks," Rei snarled. "But you just get all the girls, don't you, Len? Always! We're so sick of it, so we decided to take your most precious girls away."

"If you don't let go of her in three seconds," Len's entire body shuddered. "I will tear you apart. Literally."

Akaito's hand shook and he glared at Len. Rin squeaked as the knife dug painfully into her neck. In all honesty, the way Len looked scared her more. His eyes screamed pure bloodlust, and with a start, Rin realized that Len could transform into a Beast just through anger.

"Len!" Rin twisted in the idiot Akaito's grip, and reached her hand towards him. "Len, please! Please calm down! I'm okay, see? Perfectly fine!"

"Three." Len growled, spitting out the word. Akaito stared back, boldly holding Rin against him. Rei stared between Len and Rin and stepped back. Nero looked like he wanted to intervene, but at the same time...

"Two_."_

He advanced towards Akaito slowly, slightly staggering.

"_One."_

Akaito wasn't going to go down easily.

Unfortunately, Nero bumped into him from behind, causing the knife to slip, dangerously, just by a fraction-

Rin's scream split the air.

Nero had caused Akaito to yank the blade haphazardly across Rin's neck.

She froze, and so did Len. He stared at her as if unable to comprehend it, his eyes wide. Her face still shocked, her hand dropped to her side and she drooped against Akaito, her eyes slipping shut. Miku let out a strangled yelp as she stared at Rin.

"Oh no...She's fainted...Out of shock, or something worse?" Miku asked herself.

"Rin?" Len whispered. "Rin? Tell me you're okay again, Rin. _Rin?"_

Akaito let go of her and she fell towards Len. Len stepped forward, catching her swiftly, easily, but his hands were trembling. His face was horror-struck. He lifted her up, shaking her in desperation.

"Rin, _open your eyes." _When he pulled away his hand, blood stained it.

That. Was. The. Final. Blow.

A feral growl erupted from Len's throat and he fell to the ground, writhing. He shuddered, gripping the ground in fury. Another inhumane roar emerged from his throat and he exploded, his Beast taking over. Now in his full, terrifying, form, Len turned onto Akaito, eyes bloodshot.

"_I'LL KILL YOU!" _He bellowed. Akaito, Nero, Miku, and Rei stared at him, backing away. After all, he'd just become a Beast in front of four people who weren't supposed to know about his secret, especially those three. Len calmed down the slightest upon this fact. But with one glance at Rin and the cut across her neck, and he. Saw. Fireworks.

"W...Whoa...Wh...What's happening?" Akaito stammered, stepping back. "U...Uh, Len?"

Miku's mouth extended past her face, and she stared, her eyes popping out.

"Len?"

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HER, _EVER!" _Len screamed, his throat raw with anger. "IF YOU COME NEAR HER AGAIN, I'LL TEAR YOU APART!"

It was only the fact that Rin needed to be taken care of, _now, _that made him see a little bit of sense and not slice them to bits. He couldn't go back to the castle in this form, though. Everyone would see him. Gently placing Rin on the floor, he turned to Akaito, advancing towards him in heavy strides.

_He _was responsible.

_He _sliced Rin's throat.

If _he saw pain, _then Len would be able to relax and go back to the castle, and Luka would be able to take care of Rin.

Len raised his paw, claws springing out. He was about to slice Akaito like a ribbon, but Miku's hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to look at her, and Miku saw the intense rage and fury in his eyes. She was terrified. Now she knew, or could vaguely understand, why Rin was the person who belonged with Len.

"Don't," she said softly. "He's not worth it. We have to get Rin back to the castle, Len, she's losing a lot of blood. Come on...!"

Len trembled, but Miku kept her hand tight on his arm. Finally, Len turned away, clenching his fists.  
"He may look scary, but he can't do anything," Akaito muttered to Rei. "What is wrong with him? What _is _he?"

Len growled, and his claws sprang out again.

He spun around, gripping Akaito's shirt with one hand. He slashed across Akaito's face with ease, leaving well-deserved bloody lines across his cheek.

Akaito howled in pain, his hand cupping his cheek. He dropped to his knees, moaning in agony.

Relatively calm, now, another shiver raced through him, leaving him a human again. Len gave both Rei and Nero wicked glares, and, leaving the three cowering against the wall, he turned to door.

He easily lifted Rin into one arm, touched Miku on the shoulder, and raced outside. They wouldn't be able to make it to the castle, Rin was losing way too much blood. Len stopped at a small Apothecary and hurried in.

"Excuse me," he blurted out to the surprised nurse. "Can you please take care of this girl, now? I'll pay you _any _amount in gold. Anything. Just, please. Take care of her."

Len didn't think he would ever cry over someone important to him, but to his horror, he felt diamonds percolate at the corners of his eyes.

Growling, he smacked them away as though tears were irritating insects.

"A...All right." The nurse said, bewildered. "I'll, uh, try. Please lay her down in this room and wait outside."

Len set Rin gently onto the bed. The cut thankfully wasn't bleeding way too much, but it was still bleeding, and Rin was deathly pale.

If Rin didn't make it, not only would Akaito die, but Len would remain a Beast forever.

They waited outside in the waiting room. Len's hands wouldn't sit still.

_Why _was he so worried about her? Why did he _care _about her so much? She was just a girl...

_No, Len. You're __**lying **__to yourself. You liar, liar, liar. Rin is so much more than that._

Len paced back and forth, unable to sit. He just couldn't. He was way too anxious, worried about Rin. The enchantress would have his throat if she died, and, even worse...

_No. _She couldn't die. She couldn't.

"Um," said the nurse, coming out. "The girl will be fine. No arteries were cut. She probably fainted from shock. She'll come to in an hour or so."

Len let out a huge breath that he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Um, Len. While we're waiting, can I talk to you?" Miku asked quietly. He looked up at her, nodding. She sat next to him.

"What is it?" he growled quietly. He was still in a bad mood, so all Miku said was one word.

"How?"

Len suddenly realized that the reason he didn't want to tell Rin the story was because he didn't want her to realize what a cruel, evil,_ beast _he was. But he found that he could easily tell Miku, because he no longer cared what Miku thought of him.

"There was an enchantress," Len began quietly. "She came to my castle about two years ago. Disguised as a beggar, she stood on my castle doorstep."

"_Please, Prince. Prince Len... I need food. Just a piece of bread, no more. Nothing more, I promise." She was a hag, covered in a gray, fraying, cloth. Scraggly, thin, hair framed a sickly face, and she stooped with age and hunger. Her voice was weak, barely audible._

"_Ha," the boy on the throne let out a sharp laugh. "Beggars like you just make my castle floor filthy."_

"_Please, Prince!" The woman wailed, bowing down. "Just a piece of bread."_

"_Guards." The word was a cruel one, and the Prince's men came forward to subdue the woman.  
The woman suddenly stood tall, and an unearthly glow radiated from her entire being. Her crooked fingers straightened, as well as her legs. The age and hunger lines vanished from her skin, leaving it pale and flawless. Her hair, beginning at the roots, became a silky wave of snow white. Bright maroon eyes pierced the Prince. She was beautiful._

_She let out a cackle, stepping forwards._

"_So, you spoiled Prince. You are just as wicked as all the villagers say you are. I'd say you need to be taught a lesson, yes?" _

"_Wh...What?...!" The Prince stood up, fists clenching. "What evil magic is this? Guards! Get her, throw her out!"_

_The guards again grabbed at the woman, but with a flick of her wrist, they became stone, frozen in place. Another flick and they were dust._

_The woman let out another mad giggle and smiled patronizingly at the Prince, who had turned pale. "No, your fate will not be death. I will make you suffer worse than that. There are things worse than death, you know." She pointed at the castle staff, Luka, Gakupo, Yuki, Gumi, Teto, Meiko, and the rest. "They will also suffer for your cruel deeds, unfortunately. Your pain will be hideousness. Your castle grounds will be enchanted, and only you can leave the castle alone. I curse you, Prince Len, with bringing out your true self: A horrible Beast!"_

_With those words, she waved her hand and Len let out an inhumane scream, falling onto the floor. Coarse brown hair sprouted from his skin, covering his whole body. His teeth grew long, sharp, and canine. Huge claws extended from his paws, and when Len stood up again, he was no longer human._

_He let out a roar. "What have you done to me, you horrible witch?-!" He looked down at his 'hands' and growled in anguish, clawing at the floor. The carpet was shredded in instants. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"_

"_I have merely brought out your true self, and now, for the staff. For the chef, he will become the oven in the kitchen. The helper and her assistant, a teapot and a teacup. For the maid, she will become the broomstick. The dresser, a wardrobe, and the doorwoman, a coat rack."_

_With an eruption of gold sparks, the horrified staff became their respective items._

"_Why are you cursing __**them?" **__Len bellowed at her. "What have they done to you?"_

"_Ah," she mused thoughtfully. "So you are not all bad. How about I make a condition with you, Prince? I, being an enchantress, know very well what will happen in the future. I will give you this rose. This rose will give you the power to transform into a human for twelve hours, and become a Beast for the other twelve. This applies to your staff, as well. However, this rose will not stay forever, Prince. You will find another rose, in a very different form. When you learn to love, the curse will be broken. Mend your cold heart, dull your sharp tongue, and when you do..." The enchantress smiled benignly at the enraged Prince. "...Perhaps you will find that there is some hope for you."_

_With that, she faded into the air, leaving..._

"Me as a Beast, and the staff as common items," Len concluded. "And now my only hope, as I can tell now, is Rin. But she can never love me, because I am just a heartless, cruel, monster." Hopelessness trembled through him as he dropped his head into his palms. "But I deserved it," he continued in a mumble, "For my actions."

Miku had never seen the cold side of Len. When he looked up at her, she was lost in thought, staring hard at the door.

"So you become _that_ for twelve hours. And that was why you couldn't come out this morning, or last night. And why the staff wasn't in the kitchen."

"Yes," Len affirmed.

"But," Miku said, looking up at him. "You become a Beast for twelve hours, so why did you become a Beast _now, _then?"

"Because I got so angry," Len said to her. "That it brought on the transformation."

"Yes, but why?" Miku asked quietly. "Why were you angry?"

"Because," Len snapped, annoyed. "Akaito hurt Rin! He slit her throat!" Suddenly, realization dawned onto him and he looked at Miku. "..._Oh."_

"Yes," Miku said softly. "You care about Rin so much that when he hurt her, you saw anger. Just think, Len. Three years ago, would you have cared to see someone's throat slit? But now, when you see a common villager, a common _girl, _getting hurt, you go mad with rage. I'd say you've changed, Len, and for the better."

"You've changed too, you know. This morning you were screaming at my door." Len felt a small smile cross his face.

Miku flushed, crossing her arms. "You know what? Shut up. But Len, unfortunately, I know I'm in love with you. It looks like I'm going to have to find someone else, yeah?"

A little ripple of guilt rushed through him and he sighed. "I...Suppose so. Sorry, Miku."

"Rin is an amazing person, Len. She got me to see things differently, and even though I thought I hated her, it seems to not be that way. And she did this in the span of ten hours. Even though I am _madly _jealous," Miku felt her lips tighten, "And I _do _think I am much prettier and elegant-" She broke off, and Len raised his eyebrows. "Oh, there I go again... But I think Rin is the right one for you." She cast a glance at the clock on the wall. "Oh my, I think we've been talking for about an hour. Shall we go see Rin?"

Len got up quickly, and again, Miku felt anger towards Rin and that spark of jealousy, but she couldn't stay mad at her, especially when Rin had danced on the edge of death.

_But she's just a common girl. _Miku sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to get what she most wanted, this time.

_I can't believe I'm losing to her, and, I can't believe I'm saying this, but, that's probably for the better._

They walked into the room and Miku immediately spotted Rin among a few other people. She was on a bed, a cream bandage tightly wound around her neck.

"Rin?" Len whispered, poking her cheek. "Rin?"

Her eyelashes fluttered, and Rin slowly came to. Her blue irises took on confusion and she gazed up at Len.

"Len?" She yawned, stretching out her limbs. "What am I doing here?" Slowly, she began to remember what had happened, and her slim fingers touched the bandage. _"_Oh yeah..."

"My _god," _Len exhaled quietly. "You worried me," he said under his breath. Not that he was going to let her know that. Anger began to rise in him again.

"Are you two stupid? How could you come to the marketplace alone? With only Yuki as company, no less."

Rin flinched, and Miku shrugged. "It was boring."

"So what? What if Yuki hadn't come to me? What if? You two would have been raped, for sure. Raped and then killed. Or even worse, _sold. _I swear to god, if you do that again, I _won't _forgive you."

Rin nodded, her eyes flickering downwards to her hands. "Sorry."

"I'll be having a word with Luka," Len muttered as Rin sat up. "Letting you two go out like that."

He gave Rin a hand and led her outside. Miku rolled her eyes and Rin gave her a quick glance.

"So, um, you know?" Rin asked quietly. "About..." She didn't know what had happened after she fainted, but Len had been on the verge of transformation, so perhaps he had transformed?

"Of course I know," Miku said haughtily. "He told me the entire story of how he became the Beast." She walked ahead with Len, leaving Rin a little bit hurt.

_Why hasn't he told me the story?_

Shaking it off, she walked faster to join them.

_I'm sure he'll tell me later._

~ONE ROSE~

_"How could you let them go?" _Len demanded to know, slamming his fist down onto the table.

"You know it's dangerous, Luka!"

"Look, there was nothing else I could do!" Luka argued back. "It's not like Rin had an excuse for _why _she and Miku couldn't leave the castle!"

Len made a noise of frustration and Miku crossed her arms.

"Len? Does, uh, Miku know?" asked Gumi quietly. Miku stomped her foot to get Gumi's attention.

"Yes, I know!" she huffed. "I said it like four times!"

"Calm down, god." Gumi's nose twitched and she placed her hands on her hips. "Jeez. You're really annoying!"

"Gumi," Len said in warning, and Rin sighed. She was seated at the island, Yuki leaning on her shoulder. The poor girl had been in hysterics until Rin came back.

"Yuki," cooed Rin. "You did amazing today. If it weren't for you, who _knows...?"_

"Don't." growled Len. "I don't want to hear any more about it. Rin- and Miku- go to your rooms. I'm sure you've had a tiring day, so, go on."

Rin nodded, apparently not too keen on angering Len any further. She dragged herself across the floor, heading to the stairs.

"Come on, Miku." she said dully, gesturing to the turquoise-haired girl. "Let's go."

"No." Miku said shortly, making Rin raise an eyebrow tiredly. "You go. I have business to settle with Len."

"I intervene here. You _must _go to bed, _now, _because I say so." Len lowered his head, icy eyes making Miku stop in her tracks. "Out."

Miku groaned. "_Fine. _But only because you say so, Len..." Batting her eyelashes, she crossed the floor. An unsettling feeling tickled the pit of Rin's stomach, but she blamed it on the relative ickiness of the day and went up to take a long, lavender-scented, bath.

_Yes. He'll definitely tell me soon._

**Yes, she survived. I mean, it was difficult, but turns out that if the arteries aren't cut, and they get the medical attention, then they live. If you really want the sources, PM me.**

**Thanks for the love! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay. Okay. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECIOUS REVIEWS~ **

**Ehehe, I love you all so much that I decided to update- Again! Wow, I'm on a streak. XD**

**Ooh, so you guys will get a real glimpse at Len's dark side now!**

Finally, Miku was gone, and the castle had returned to its sleepy and somewhat lazy stupor.

"There's to be a ball," Len announced one night at dinner, and everyone looked up. Rin was usually on time these days for dinner, breakfast, and lunch, but Len was fairly lenient with her.

Luka hummed as she waltzed around the kitchen, laden with plates. "That's excellent, Len, but you can't waltz."

"_Don't." _Len glared at Luka. "Remind me. That is where I'm getting to. I need to work on those lessons, as I am expected to be at the ball. After all, my reappearance is something that people are getting used to. All I need is a run-in with those three..." Len growled a few choice words, and Rin looked up sleepily.

"Are you going to take Miku, Len?" she asked in a murmur, raising her spoon to her lips.

"What? Miku has returned to her place. I was thinking, Rin, maybe you would accompany me?"

The spoon clattered into the soup and everyone turned to the two. Rin blushed, tipping her head in apology.

"That was careless of you," Len frowned. "But no matter," he continued upon seeing Rin flush further. "Will you accompany me?"

"B-But," Rin stammered. "Won't people make odd assumptions about me being there?"

"So? I don't care."

"Oh. Okay then." Rin smiled into her soup, her heart suddenly fluttering. It was just an assumption, but she strongly suspected that she was falling in love with Len.

Ironic, but she was.

"Rin, I expect you'll have a proper dress, and..." Len's voice trailed off, and suddenly, he and Rin were the only ones in the room. Since the incident, Len had found that he had a strong sense of overprotective urges hovering around him. The need to protect her, keep her safe.

But...Now...She was almost..._Glowing?_

It was true. Rin's cheeks were soft with pink, and she was smiling into her soup, her face cheerful. It was a simple, but beautiful, happiness. Nothing was so overwhelmingly lovely about Rin, but, just for a moment...

Len growled softly at his thoughts.

"Rin." he snapped, and suddenly, reality swished into sense again. He was acutely aware of Luka scurrying back and forth, Gakupo cooking in the kitchen, Gumi cleaning the floors... "Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh!" Rin looked up, and just like that, she was normal again. Just pretty, her simple and delicate self.

But how he wished that she was blushing again, with that soft, almost _whimsical, _smile on her face...

"I was saying," he proclaimed loudly, "That I hope you will have a suitable dress to wear?"

"Yes, Teto will help me." Rin said, trying not to show her eagerness in her voice. "Thank you so much, Len."

His fist curled onto itself, and his nails pierced his palm. Why was he so tense? He felt like jumping at her, but he didn't want to _hurt _her... It was an odd urge... He... Desired her?

No. He couldn't let his animalistic urges take over.

(A/N: **Don't worry, gaiz! This is T for a reason ;))**

"The ball is in a week." he mumbled. "You can go now."

And he stood, threw his napkin down, and stalked to a room hidden in the maze of the castle, leaving everyone confused.

Rin nodded, a bewildered look on her face, and also retired to her room. She wasn't sleepy, not at all, but Len had looked so conflicted for a split second that it was best just to listen to him.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin laughed to herself as she spun around the room, pretending to waltz. It was so nice, in this grand ballroom, to be free and like a bird.

"Rin, you seem so happy! I'm glad." Gumi giggled as she watched Rin dance around, her bristles whisking against the ground.

It was a little past midnight, and Rin smiled dreamily as she skipped over a tile, her arms swinging around her.

Suddenly, the lights all flickered, and then everything was plunged into darkness. The only light was the moonlight came through the opaque windows, and Gumi grumbled.

"Aw, that's awful. It looks like the power is gone. Let me go get candles, okay, Rin?"

"Mm." Rin made a noise of agreement and Gumi hopped out.

She had just done another twirl when the ballroom doors slammed shut.

Rin jumped, turning to look at them with a confused look. Oh...Gumi must have shut them. She fought down the shiver and continued dancing around the room. Dark, dark, dark. It was so dark, with only the soft, buttery, shine, of the moon lighting up the room slightly. Rin heard thunder in the distance. So that was what caused the power outage- A storm.

Just then, there was a low growl.

All her hair prickled and stood on end as Rin spun, only to see Len standing there, his eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Oh." Rin's hand went to her chest and she exhaled to relieve herself of the butterflies in her stomach. "You scared me, Len."

Len felt an unfamiliar need creep up on him.

_No. NO! Stop it! Don't you dare touch her, _he commended himself, and turned to leave. But he recalled her soft blush, her smile, her smooth skin when she'd sat beside him in the garden.

His claws pierced his skin in their fists.

Rin smiled and turned again, only to feel herself being brushed up against the wall, her eyes held by Len's. His next low growl vibrated near her ears.

"Uh...Um...Len?" she stammered, pink rising to her cheeks.

_I want her to blush again, and because of me._

"Len?" she asked again, and Len growled softly.

His claw gently pushed away the golden strands of hair and he leaned closer, his head barely touching hers. His fangs slammed together, and Rin shook her head. The claw encircled her neck, and Len's other paw settled on her waist.

"No, Len... Please... I'm not ready for-"

He growled again, but his heart twinged when he saw the fear in her eyes. Did she honestly believe he would hurt her? After all he'd done for her?  
His emotions hurt more than anything, Len dropped his hands.

"I understand. You don't want a Beast with you."

"No, Len, that's not it...I..." Rin tried to make amends with him. In all honesty, his actions had made her heart flutter, but no, not yet. His unusual behavior was what scared her, not him-

"Yes, that's it. Don't lie to me," he snarled. He stepped away from her, his footfalls heavy. Rin reached to him with her hand, but he snapped at the offering and pulled open the doors.

"I'm sorry," he hissed between his teeth before exiting.

Rin wanted to cry when the doors slammed closed. What had she done? She knew he wouldn't hurt her, he was being gentle...

Still! What was that? She'd seen something in his eyes that was so unfamiliar, so strange...Something she'd never seen before, and that was why she stopped him-

_Desire._

Rin grabbed at her heart again and sunk against the door. What had been such a nice moment had gone dark and ugly in mere seconds.

And Gumi found Rin with the most depressed look, ten minutes later, when the power came back, and the rain was pattering gently against the glass windows.

~ONE ROSE~

"It was so out of character, especially for Len," Rin murmured to Teto, who sighed. She helped Rin fold up her clothes and put them into the wardrobe.

"Well, Rin...It's just an assumption." Teto hesitated. "But Len is probably not used to emotions like this. It's probably just his way of showing that he cares for you, but it's rough and needs to be polished. Give him some time. His actions, in all honesty, probably unnerved himself more than you."

"...All right," Rin said after a pause. "I suppose you're right, Teto. Of course, the way I reacted was terrible as well. I'm sure I hurt him..."

Rin felt a weight on her shoulder and looked up at Teto.

"Don't worry, Rin. I'm sure you and Len will be on good terms again before the ball."

"Thank you, Teto." Rin said gratefully, and they resumed folding clothes in silence.

~ONE ROSE~

"What a surprise, Len." Gakupo chuckled as he piped roses onto a cake. Len was silent, watching him through hawk-like eyes. "I presume that you're here about Rin?"

He didn't answer, so Gakupo pressed on. "Poor girl, she was so distressed. Wanted to apologize, she said." Gakupo knelt to continue the process of decorating the cake.

He looked up to see Len's eyes spark with interest. "She wanted to apologize?" His voice was low, but Gakupo could hear tension in it.

"You want to tell me what happened?" Gakupo raised an eyebrow.

"No," Len said shortly.

"Either ways," Gakupo ignored his harsh tone and continued piping. "She seemed very upset, and I think you should go and talk to her. You'll find out stuff you didn't think you knew. Why don't you give it a try?"

"Whatever," Len snapped as he got up and walked outside. But Gakupo saw him climb the stairs towards Rin's room and grinned, smoothing the petals of a beautiful rose.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin stared up at the ceiling. Teto was in the bathroom, and she was bored. Bored, lonely, and guilty. Usually, at this time, she'd be out in the garden, watching Len tend to his plants.

Len and his plants. Rin grinned to herself suddenly. Len had such a gentle way with flowers, herbs, and other plants. Rin had never been able to be so lucky- Her garden at home was just average.

But Len's garden bloomed with life, sparkled with a little bit of magic and mystery. The flowers were full, cupping the golden sun with soft petals, and colorful, almost in every shade of every color. Len took a lot of pride in his garden, and she could tell that he loved all his plants. Even if he was snappish at any other given time.

"Can I come in."

It was less of a question and more of a half-command, but Rin sat up quickly, her eyes surprised. She slowly nodded to Len and he entered the room.

Suddenly, there was an awkward silence. Rin stared at the bed, wondering how to break the quiet spell.

"Look, Len, I'm sorry about yesterday," she said softly, just as Len said:

"I wanted to apologize about the incident."

They looked at each other. "What?"

Then, "You go first."

"Um..." Rin had to laugh a little bit despite the situation. Len frowned at her laughter and rubbed the back of his neck. "Len, about what you assumed- It was nothing about you being a Beast, I swear. I was just confused, because it was really uncharacteristic of you. I promise I have nothing against you being a Beast." She looked up, her eyes wide and sincere. "But," she felt heat rise to her cheeks and bit her lip. "I really would prefer if you were a human."

Len surprised her by sitting next to her on the bed. He scowled a little bit and crossed his arms. "I too would like to apologize. It wasn't...Right to... Er, do that to you... I should have asked your permission... Yeah."

It was so awkward and Len looked so out of place that Rin felt a giggle on her lips. Soon, she was all out laughing, holding her sides. Tears rushed to her eyes as she peeked up at Len's face. This brought on another fresh wave of laughter.

"What's so funny." Len demanded to know. He frowned at Rin, but when he saw how much she was laughing, he scowled again and sighed.

"Haha...It's just... You don't seem to apologize a lot, and you look really funny when you attempt to." Rin said cheerfully, seemingly back to her normal self again.  
_Not_ that he would ever admit it... But he was glad.

"Yes," Len snapped. "So you should be happy that I did apologize to you."

He turned, but tensed and jumped a little when Rin placed her hand on his arm.

"I _am _happy, Len," she said, a warm smile on her face. "I'm glad that this is settled." She hesitantly leaned against Len's shoulder, and he didn't move, so she got comfortable.

"Hm. Whatever." Len frowned, but he found his arm awkwardly resting around her waist.

"Shh! Move over, Gumi!" The two jumped and turned to see shadows over the entrance.

"Stop that, Luka!'

"_Why are you spying on us." _Len's eyes flashed and he stood over the group of people huddled against the wall.

Suddenly, with a loud crash, Gumi and Yuki fell on Luka and she stumbled back into Gakupo. They all ended up on the floor.

"Oh, Gumi! We might become fully human soon!" Yuki danced around, and Gumi clapped her hands together.

"GET. OUT."

Rin giggled as she saw Len pointing to the stairs, glaring at the group.

"AND _don't spy on us anymore." _

Rin burst out laughing. "Why are you so harsh, Len?"

His eyes softened by the smallest fraction. "Why were they spying on me?" He retorted.

"It's all in their best nature," Rin admonished. "They're just excited. But Len, what did they mean when they said that they might become fully human soon?"

Len's eyes suddenly went flat and he backed away. "I'm sorry again, Rin. I have some matters to attend to. Excuse me."

Rin stared as he vanished into the hallway. She blinked, a suddenly lonely feeling traversing through her again. Why wouldn't he tell her anything? Why couldn't he trust her?

_But then again, Mother and you had trust issues, too._

_Shush! _Rin snapped at her conscience.

She wandered into the hallway, subconsciously stepping over the people on the floor.

Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Teto stepped out, drying her hair.

She blinked at Luka, Gumi, Yuki, and Gakupo sprawled on the floor and scowled, crossing her arms.

"Great. What did I miss this time?"

~ONE ROSE~

"I need horses," he said, hitting his hand against the table. "Five or six. And I need a group of men as well."

"Hm," the bartender raised an eyebrow. "That's all you need? I have a friend who has a stable, but can you pay?"

Mikuo slammed a bag overflowing with golden coins on the wood and the bartender leaned forward, greed written all over his face.

"Give me a few and I'll give you the name."

Five minutes later, the bartender, fingering the golden coins in his pocket, led Mikuo out the back door.

"Just this way, Mikuo. His name is Dell, and he has the best horses around. They're powerful, and can last you a great distance."

"And the men?" Mikuo questioned, his nose wrinkling at the scent of horse manure.

"Depends. Where are you going?" the bartender asked, taking a drink from a golden-brown bottle.

"I'm going to slay a Beast. But I need good, strong, men." Mikuo responded.

"Hm... Perhaps Dell can help you with that, too. Ask him." the bartender shrugged, and Mikuo smirked, bowing his head.

"Thank you for your help, but I'm afraid that you are totally unnecessary from now on. I can't have you blathering around, telling people information about me or my purposes." Before the bartender could respond, Mikuo took out his dagger, his prized dagger, and swiftly yanked it across the bartender's neck.

He heard the gasp, but it mattered not to him.

Without looking back, he heard the thud, and sighed, slipping off his silk gloves. They were tainted with the man's alcoholic blood.

_Disgusting._

"Oh," he added in a dark whisper, kneeling by the body. The man's eyes were still wide with shock. Mikuo slid the coins out of his pocket and put them back into their pouch. "I'll take these back."

Mikuo disposed of the body in the woods. He wiped the blood off the dagger with the gloves and threw them into the lake nearby. He headed to the stables, pocketing the dagger into its sheathe.

Before he did, though, he looked at his reflection in the blade, imagining Beauty's (as he had coined the prize of his hunt) face, her thankful smile as she threw her arms around him. He could almost feel the pressure of her lips on his, see her rosy blush.

_Oh, thank you for saving me from that horrible Beast!_

He grinned, his lips brushing along the rubies that adorned the hilt.

_I fear that I'm becoming quite obsessed with you, Beauty. But soon, I'll save you. Soon..._

_**You will be mine.**_

**A/N:**

**Ehehe...Mikuo's a little scary, isn't he?**

**Review, please! :3**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi! Oh my gosh, guyzzz... If I get to 100... I will make Rin and Len kiss in the next chapter:3 … How bout that?**

**XD**

**/shot for emotional fluffy blackmail.**

**Expect a big surprise at the end of this!**

**Anyways, onto the chapter~**

"You...Look..." Len's eyes briefly widened before he looked to Gakupo. Gakupo smirked and looked away, refusing to offer the Prince any help.

Len scowled, searching for something to say that didn't sound too overused and cliché.

Teto had absolutely gone mad, turning into a crazy maniacal freak to get Rin ready. To Rin, it was pure torture, sitting in place while an insane Teto and giggling Gumi plucked, pinched, pulled, rubbed, prodded, and dabbed her face with all assortments of powders, lotions, glitter, and..._tweezers._

Her face sore, Rin managed to give Len a pained smile- Her jaw still hurt from being pinched so much. But it was worth it, because right at that moment, Len decided that Rin looked:

"Radiant."

Everyone turned to him.

"What?" Gumi frowned.

"Radiant. Because, you know...She's... Leave me alone," Len snapped as everyone laughed at his expense. Gakupo chuckled, bowing his head.

"He's right, you look dazzling, Rin."

"Thank you." Rin blushed, smiled, sparkled with happiness. Better this time than any other, but Len slowly- Starting at the top of her head- did a full inspection of the girl.

Her hair was soft, pinned up expertly, by Teto, and small golden ringlets fell from the updo. Her ivory skin brilliantly contrasted to her eyes, which looked- somehow- even more vivid and oceanic than they usually were. Her dress, starting just above her chest, was strapless- Something that mortified Rin, after all, she really had no support, but Teto helped with that- and it was a rich violet at the top, but slowly morphed into an enigmatic blue towards the bottom. She had a fully bloomed crocus entwined with her hair.

All in all, she looked like a type of person that someone like Len would find the perfect lady in, if Len were that type of scrutinizing person.

Which he wasn't.

But she did look beautiful.

Len didn't look too bad himself, was what Rin was thinking. She thought he looked, in fact, very handsome, in a dark blue suit. It was so dark that it was almost black, but complimented with Rin's, made them look like an ideal couple. His hair was messy, but in a charming sort of way. If only he didn't frown all the time.

"She's going to steal hearts tonight, Len. Better capture her before someone else does."

"_What's that supposed to mean?" _Len whipped onto Gakupo, who raised his hands defensively.

"Nothing at all, if you can't decipher it."

"I know very well what you mean, and I'm telling you, it's nothing like that-" Len began to threaten, but Rin interrupted.

"Len? Can we go now?" She gave him a brilliant smile, which Len was (almost) tempted to return.

"Yes." he said shortly, offering her his arm. Luka came in from outside, brandishing a spatula.

"Len!" she cried excitedly. "The horse and carriage are outside! Are you two- Oh, _Rin! _You look absolutely _darling!"_

Len mentally groaned and gently tugged Rin's arm.

"Come," he said. "We can't be late."

"Mm," Rin agreed, trying to keep up with his fluent strides. With Len just at her side, everything seemed warmer- Even though they both could see the snow, and the barren trees. Rin shivered, and Len quickly led her past the snow and into the grass. She looked up to see a portly man sitting behind two horses, and an ornate red and gold carriage behind him. "Oh, it's charming, isn't it Len?"

"Hm," he made a half-committal noise and helped her up into it.

"Where to, Master...Uh...Um..."

"Len," Len said stiffly. "To the Serenade Ballroom, please."

"Of course, Master Len."

Rin made herself comfortable, and in the albeit cramped space, moved closer to Len. Len twitched, still not used to such contact, but found himself, yet again, enjoying her cheek against his shoulder. He looked down at her, and she looked so peaceful and serene.

But god, she was small, and it didn't seem like it would take much to snap her into two... And then he realized what he was doing.

He mentally screamed at himself. _WHY ARE YOU THINKING THINGS LIKE THAT?_

"Len?" Rin asked, confused. "Your face is having a battle with itself."

"Hm?" Len's eyes slid absently over her and he shrugged. "It's nothing." His arm, still a little clumsy, roped around her, and he held her petite body to his. He could feel her heartbeat race, run a little mile, and then return to its normal pace.

Why was that?

(**A/N: Gawd, Len, you... Are _so _clueless.)**

He dismissed the thought and reveled in the moment until they reached their destination.

"Come, Rin." He helped her out and led her into the castle.

"Come, Rin." He helped her out and led her into the castle. She looked around, mystified, but held tightly onto Len's arm. She seemed a little nervous, even a little scared. He felt the heat radiate off of her, and he frowned, wondering what he should do.

Something in him told him to wrap an arm around Rin's shoulders. So he did. And she looked surprised, but happy. And that was all he needed to hold on to her.

"Good to see you out and about after your, ah, illness, Prince." Rin realized that Len, who had been a cruel prince, still scared people.

"Hm," Len said shortly. "Good to see you too..."

"Um, Honne. At your service, Your Highness." Honne moved backwards and scurried away, looking bewildered. Rin smiled, and Len frowned at her.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing," she said hastily, and Len continued frowning at her. "Really, it's nothing. Come, let's head to the dance hall."

"Yes," he agreed, his eyes slightly narrowed. People spread for Len and Rin, bowing and frantically falling to their feet. Len seemed utterly confused. "Why are you all on the floor?"

"Um... You're not going to hurt us?"

In a snap, it hit Len. He used to be so cruel, malicious, and wicked to all the people. It was only to be expected that they were scared to pieces of him.

"Please, Your Highness." A man mopped his brow with a handkerchief. "We would be honored if you would give a speech."

Len sighed, turning to face everyone in the hall. The room was deathly quiet, with people expecting Len to call his guards upon them.

He cleared his throat. "I'm glad to be here."

"_What?" _Hushed murmurs rippled through the crowd and women and men nervously turned to each other. "Is...Is he different? Changed?"

"No, that's impossible."

"He must have... He doesn't look angry..."

"Watch... We'll all be dead by the end of today..."

"Excuse me," Len snapped impatiently. "I know that I have been gone for quite a long time, so please bear with me as I attempt to restore all that has come undone in the time that I did not rule. That is all. Thank you."

Shocked faces rewarded him, and people slowly nodded.

He pulled Rin along with him but Rin stopped him. She cleared her throat.

"If I may say something?"

The whispers grew louder.

"Who is that?"

"Goodness, she's beautiful... Is she the Prince's...Betrothed?"

"I've never seen her around here."

"They are striking together..."

Rin smiled graciously at the crowd, her eyelashes barely fluttering over her eyes. "My name is Rin. I was not here to witness the time before His Highness's illness..." The crowd gazed, captivated by her voice and beauty.

"...But I am under the impression that he was quite frightening and cruel to people."

"How could she say that when he's right next to her?" People hissed to each other. "Is she mad? The poor thing, she won't live to see another day..."

Len didn't say a word. His hawk-sharp eyes never left Rin. Calmly, Rin continued.

"Len and his staff...Took me into the castle. In the beginning, it was quite hard for me to adapt. I had to leave my family and it was quite a rough time for me. I thought that Len was just a terrible person who had no better thing to do than frighten people. He scared me, and I did not particularly want to remain in the castle."

A pin-drop silence followed Rin's brief pause.

"But what I want to say, is that in the time that followed, I came to enjoy my time in the castle. Len, although rough, had times where he was quite kind to me, and even...Gentle. Although this... For you, that is... _New _Len will be difficult to accustom to, I'm sure that once you do, you will find that he can be quite pleasant to be around. I gave him a chance, and now...Although I know it will be extremely difficult, I'm asking...Begging...You to give Len another chance." She bowed her head forward and said in the softest of voices, "Thank you for your time."

"Is...Is the Prince getting her to apologize for him? How awful," said a sudden vengeful voice. Len's sharp eyes flew to the crowd. No matter how hard Rin tried for his sake, people would never forgive him.

Voices flew into the air, suddenly furious and accusatory. "Does she really believe we can forgive that man? He ruined our lives."

"I have no parents because of him!" cried a voice in anger.

Len's hand lifted, and the crowd slowly hushed. He knew what he had to do, and he knew it was unavoidable. He deserved it, anyways, because his cruelty would never be forgivable.

Everyone would love Rin so much more. She was kind, sweet, forgiving. She loved people, and she would never make the mistakes he did.

"Despite what Rin said," he said in a deathly calm voice. "I don't ask that you forgive me." The slightest of tremors ran through him, and he closed his eyes. "In fact... I ask that you not forgive me."

Rin stared at him, her eyes wide. _What is he doing?_

"I deserve your hate, anger, abhorrence. What I did before my illness was absolutely unacceptable, and I know that better than anyone. It is only until recently," his eyes flickered to Rin and back to the crowd, "that I felt the guilt of my actions. It is a huge weight, and I will never be able to get rid of it. And I deserve it. So," Len finalized his decision.

His eyes simmered with intensity as he turned fully to Rin, holding his hand out towards her.

"I have decided to hand over the crown to Rin and let her rule this land."

**Whoa. Bet none of you saw _that _one coming.  
**

**Review, please? x3**

**100 reviews... And... :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi guys:D  
**

**Wow, you guys not only got me to a 100, you got me to 116. Wow! I didn't think these stories would have so many hits! Almost 6-freaking-thousand hits! There are no words I have for you guys:) And thank you to the ones who PMed me their reviews:D Thanks for taking the time!**

**You guys... Are freaking awesome. So. Freaking. Awesome. So anyways, as a special little present, you not only get a kiss... You get a very passionate one:3**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH!  
**

**And now, on to the story. And don't forget to read the message at the end? It's about an idea for a possible new story, once I'm done with One Rose. Which, don't worry, is far from its end. :D**

"What were you _thinking, _Len?" Rin yelled at him.

Len didn't answer.

Arms folded, he looked out over the courtyard, where fountains gushed sparkling water into the sky.

Cheeks pink with anger, Rin recalled the last hour.

"_I have decided to hand the crown over to Rin and let her rule this land."_

_There were a few moments of hushed silence as people processed what Len had said. Rin's jaw dropped past the capacity of her face, and she stared._

"_Y...You... What?"_

_Chaos erupted in the room and chatter rose to a high volume._

"_What? He's doing **what?"**_

"_He said...He's handing over the crown to that girl...?"_

"_Does that mean... Yes! He's... He's stepping down from the throne...!"_

_Rin stepped forwards, her mouth opening to refuse, but everyone turned to her and Rin froze in place, her eyes wide._

"_Are you the new... Are you the Princess?"_

_Len answered for her, taking her wrist and pulling her forward none too gently. "Yes, she is. She is fair and honest, and she will lead in my stead. She is kind towards all people."_

"_So basically the opposite of you?" a person sneered boldly. Len's eyes flashed before dimming slightly and he stared into the crowd._

"_Basically." he said solemnly, before slightly pushing Rin forward.  
_

_The crowd hushed and Rin stared, petrified, at all the people._

"_..."_

"_Did you know Len would hand the crown over to you?"_

_Rin stammered, turning to stare at him. "Um, I..."_

"_Are you really kind to everyone?" a woman asked excitedly._

"_Of course, she defended **him, **didn't she? Had to have a lot of patience for that."_

"_Are you going to marry Len?" Everyone's interest peaked at that again, and they nodded eagerly, talking quietly amongst themselves.**  
**_

_"Aren't you going to say something?" All of them turned intently to her again._

_Rin twitched and took Len's hand. "Excuse me a moment."_

"God! I don't even know how to rule anything! I don't know how to rule an...An... Entire kingdom! How could you do this?" she wailed, whipping onto him.

"If I felt that you couldn't handle it, I wouldn't have given the responsibility to you."

"But I can't even deny it now! Because you said it in public! Len!" She was so annoyed that she didn't see him come to stand in front of her.

"Rin," he said quietly.

"Just be quiet, Len! So aggravating!" she growled at him, for the first time showing anger towards the male.

"Rin," he repeated, and Rin snapped.

"_What-?...!"_

It was so swift that she barely had time to clear her muddled thoughts. Len's arm curled around her slim waist and he pulled her towards him. Her toes skimmed along the rough ground, but barely. Almost as though she was hovering over the stone, but...Just barely.

His left hand pressed against the small of her back and he let her hang slightly over the stone railing. His thumb, just below her chin, tilted her face up, and then...

Rin's mind went blank.

His lips... _His lips..._

Were _on _hers!

They were on hers!

His lips!

Rin mentally freaked out, her heart pounding like it had been released from her chest. Her hands came up automatically, but instead of pushing him away, they landed on either side of his face.

_Traitors, _Rin thought hazily towards them.

His hand pushing against her back, Rin straightened, almost tipping forward into him. Her hands, now grabbing his shoulders, pulled him closer. A guttural growl rippled through his chest and Rin moaned quietly as his tongue danced against hers.

He pushed her, frantically drank at her, his mind occupied and wanting only her.

_Only her._

They broke apart for air, but dove right back into it again. Rin gripped Len's hair, arching her entire body against his. Both of them felt the unfamiliarity of kissing and being kissed, but didn't care. Len growled again, hands holding her waist tightly.

_This _was what he needed. What he wanted. What _completed _him.

Yes, it was Rin. The whole time, it was Rin.

Rin gasped as he licked her bottom lip, causing sheer fire to ripple through her blood. They held each other, kissed each other to senselessness.

Finally, they broke away from each other. Rin panted slightly, her heart pounding. She gripped the railings, her face flushed.

Len's ears burned, and he crouched next to her, his head bowed slightly.

"Rin," he said quietly. "This is one of the only decisions I have ever made that I am truly happy about." Rin helplessly looked at him, and only nodded.

"...Okay, Len,' she said quietly. "Okay. I'll think about it."

Better an answer than any, he supposed. But the oddest feeling rose in him, almost like he wanted to purr in happiness. Probably his animal instincts.

He helped her up and Rin inhaled, letting him lead her back inside.

~ONE ROSE~

"You're telling me now?...!" Rin hissed at Len quietly. Len glared at her.

"Look, after that last lesson, I never had a chance to practice!"

"Okay, Len." Rin whispered. Everyone was looking at them. In fact, the two had been chosen to cast off the dance. "Hand against my upper back."

Len nodded swiftly. His hand firm against her back, his eyes dipped into hers as if to ask her for the next step.

"Other hand in mine."

He clasped her other hand, and his eyes flicked over her face before he let his arm relax.

"Now," Rin cued the orchestra, "Dance!"

Step, step back, step right, twirl, step again. Len was not a person who did things perfectly on his first try, and he stumbled a bit. Rin winced as he stepped on her foot, but he seemed so concentrated on his steps that she didn't say anything.

But one thing Len did do flawlessly was twirl her, and he raised his arm, easily spinning her on her feet and falling back into step just as quickly. He was obviously very pleased with himself, even if he wasn't grinning.

"Don't be too proud of yourself."

Len raised an eyebrow and spun her around effortlessly again. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that."

"Oh, be quiet." she snapped breathlessly. Surrounded by the other dancers, the two immersed themselves into the night.

~ONE ROSE~

It was nearly eleven when they were broken out of their reverie. Rin realized how tired she was only when her feet begged to stop. Once she stopped, fatigue slammed into her like a haywire door.

"My feet," she moaned quietly. They were seemingly on fire, and throbbed. She was sure she'd danced them to swelling the next day.

Len gave no indication that his feet hurt, but in all honesty, he was tired too. His entire body ached, especially his arms. Rin was light, yes, and she was small, but he must have twirled her over twenty times.

"We'll be expecting your answer soon, _Princess _Rin," called out a man from the crowd, and a crescendo of voices agreed with him. Rin gave them a tired smile and the two broke away, stepping out into the night.

"Len, you did spectacularly," she whispered, looping her arm around his. Len's eyes burned into hers, but then he nodded.

"I know."

"Aren't you modest?"

"Hm." Len had been making the noncommittal noise for quite a while, now, and Rin turned to him. Her eyes were impassive, and she looked back to make sure no one was listening in.

"Why did you kiss me, Len?"

Len's face suddenly flamed up and he glowered at the girl, who cowered slightly. "No reason at all. What, I can't kiss now?" He was all ready to begin debating about this, but, instead, Rin draped a cool hand along his cheek.

"Will you calm down?" she demanded. "I just asked. God, Len."

Len scowled and turned ahead.

But he didn't remove her arm.

~ONE ROSE~

"No. Way." Teto squealed into the pillow and grabbed Rin's hands tightly in her own. "No. Way. You are kidding me, right? Please don't be kidding me! Please don't make this dream come true a nightmare!"

"No." Rin smiled shyly. "He really did kiss me."

"RIN, THAT'S AWESOME!"

"Teto, shh!" Rin hushed the older girl. "Len told me not to tell anyone!"

"Ah, ah, okay." Teto silenced herself for barely three seconds before squealing in an albeit smaller voice, "But was it like, a really small kiss, or like, a fiery kiss burning with passion?...!"

"Well...Neither. In fact, I think he kissed me to shut me up." Rin wrinkled her nose. "B-But it was passionate!" She felt obliged to say this, for poor Teto's face was crestfallen.

Teto brightened, scooting closer to Rin. "Was it really?"

"He used..." Rin leaned in, her eyes shining with wonder. "His _tongue."_

There was silence, before Teto leaned forward as well. "His _tongue? _No. Freaking. Way." Teto bounced up and down. "Oh my gosh, Rin, this. Is. AWESOME!"  
"Teto!" Rin grabbed one of her friend's drills and shoved a pillow against her mouth, giggling. "Shh!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Teto said, muffled by the plushiness of the pillow. "Rin... You might break the spell soon, you know?"

"But what _is _the spell?" Rin was slightly frustrated by the staff- No one would tell her what the spell was, and why she would have the capability to break it.

Teto folded her hands. "We are under an obligation to never speak about the curse. When it's time, Len himself will tell you, okay, Rin? Trust me. The reason Len told Miku and not you is because... He doesn't really _care, _you know, what she thinks of him. But he cares about your opinion, and if you realized how... Much worse... His personality was, _before _the curse-"

"That's enough, Teto." Both girls turned to see Len himself leaning against the doorway, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Ehehe," Teto laughed nervously. "Well, get going, Rin!" She shoved Rin forward and hurried into the bathroom.

Rin watched Teto make her escape and turned to Len. "I asked her, you know, no need to be so harsh."

His eyes thawed by a tiny fraction. "I know, but once Teto starts..."

Rin grinned, shutting the door behind them. "...She never stops."

"So, Rin..." Len said as they walked around the corridors. "...Your opinion of the castle has changed, hasn't it?"

"Mm," Rin looked around. It was more cheerful a place than when she'd come, that was sure. It used to be dark, dreary, foreboding at every new corner. "Yes, it has changed. I like it a lot, now."

"And the staff?"

Rin giggled, another smile gracing her lips. "I always liked the staff, from the moment I stepped in here."

"Rin..." His eyes were impassive as he turned to her. "Those things you said at the ballroom... Were they true?"

Rin knew this question was coming. "I meant every word. And I'm glad that you've changed towards me, Len. So, so, glad. When you hated me in the beginning, I really felt like a prisoner. Now..." She raised her arms and grinned at the ceiling. "...I feel like part of the family."

"I never hated you," Len said quietly.

"Really?" she spun to face him. "Then why were you so...Er...Mean to me?"

"Not used to having a girl like you in the castle," he said shortly. "I mean, I was angry at your father for plucking the rose, so the anger passed on a bit, but I never hated you."

"...Actually," Rin said in a guilty tone, "I was the one who asked Father to get me a rose. I didn't know he would pluck something that was so precious to you."

"You miss them." It was not a question, he saw the reminiscent look in her eyes.

"Yes," she said softly. "But this is not a terrible place to be anymore, and I am okay with staying here for however long you need me, Len." She cleared her throat. "Don't you have parents, Len?"

Len slightly stiffened, his fingertips trembling for a few moments. He at least owed her this much. "No, they're both dead. A sickness passed through the kingdom, wiping out most of the people in the villages and the castle. I was the only royalty left, of the survivors."

"Len," Rin sounded sad, and when he looked up at her, she was gazing off into the distance. "I lost my mother to the same sickness, I think. So we're both alike in that way. And more ways than one, you know?"

"You'll have to list them for me," he said, a bare smile gracing his lips.

"Is that a smile, Len?" she demanded, coming closer to him. Len immediately stepped back, his face turning red.

"What are you talking about?"

Rin smirked, getting him cornered against the tapestry. "Okay, Len. You're going to do this right." She placed one finger of each hand against his cheeks and dragged them upwards. "See, Len! You're smiling!"

Len's face contorted and he struggled to keep up with Rin's movements.

"Smile, Len!"

Len waved away her hands and scowled, eliciting giggles from the one opposite to him. "I haven't smiled in a long time."

"Have you _ever _smiled, Len?" Gumi's voice echoed down the hallway and the two turned to see her leaning against a window. "Hello. I came to tell Len and you that lunch was ready, and decided to eavesdrop. So," she waved a hand, a grin on her face. "You are both cordially and formally invited- Although Gakupo's food is hardly something worth recognition-"

"Oh, quit it," Rin laughed, smacking Gumi's shoulder. "You love Gakupo's food, you pig out on it everyday."

Gumi snickered and socked Rin back. "Not as much as you, though! You eat much more than I, and you know it." She stuck out her tongue and waggled it. "Can't help it if you eat like a guy."

"What?" Rin feigned outrage, racing after the other girl, both unable to contain their giggles. "Ooh! Just wait till I get my hands on you!"

Len watched them both, his eyes marginally warmer, almost soft as he watched them banter back and forth. Rin stopped just before leaving the corridor and turned, her cheeks flushed with laughter.

"Coming, Len?"

"In a minute," he responded softly. "But yes, I'll come. Go on without me."

Rin smiled warmly at him and nodded, following Gumi out.

Len turned back to the window.

_When was the last time I smiled fully?_

_Ah, yes. It was the day I saved Yuki, three years ago._

~ONE ROSE~

_It was his 15th birthday._

_Len stared solemnly at his cake, and then up at Gakupo and Luka. At the time, only Gakupo, Luka, Teto, and Meiko were part of the staff. _

"_It's not chocolate."_

_It was petty, but he'd always had chocolate. It was something that linked his mother with him. Both loved chocolate. Both had always had chocolate cake for their birthdays._

"_Yes, Len." Gakupo and Luka traded looks. "We...Ran out of chocolate. We weren't able to go back and get it."_

"_I don't want any," he muttered, pushing the cake platter away. His eyes flared in anger. "One job. I don't care what you do for the rest of the year but I **asked **specifically for chocolate, and you know how I feel about it."_

"_Len, we know-"_

"_Then why didn't you _do it?"

_Luka and Gakupo watched sadly as he stormed out. Someone was surely going to die tonight, by his hand. Len always took his anger out on the villagers._

_Len wrapped his cloak around himself and opened the doors silently. He wasn't in the mood to be questioned. The truth of it was, he felt more dreary than the rain. He angrily kicked away the snow as he tromped down to the village._

_Why did they all have to die and leave him alone?_

_**Why?**_

_Yes, he had the staff, who'd always taken care of him, but he wanted his family. Who didn't?_

_Len bit down on his tongue as he entered the village. Everyone was rushing to get out of the rain. In the cloak, he was hidden from the eyes of the villagers. Nobody payed him any heed._

"_Let me go!"_

_Len's ears twitched sightly and he turned to see a small girl kicking at several older boys. One's meaty arms were wrapped crushingly around her tiny frame. Her sopping black hair plastered her pale, heart-shaped, face. She must have been only five or six._

_Len wrinkled his nose and turned to leave._

"_Please, let me go! My mommy is sick! I have to get back to her!"_

"_She's not sick, you brat! She's **dead." **They all snickered, and her pitiful cries grew louder.  
_

_"No, no! You're wrong! She's not dead! She isn't!"_

"_Shut up. Now how much d'you think we'll get if we sell this little creature?"_

"_NO! PUT ME DOWN!"  
_

_There was a sickening crack as one of them smashed the side of her jaw with his fist. Her whimpers reduced to sobs, and she reached a hand out towards the people scurrying away. _

"_Help...!"_

_..._

"_Put her down." His voice echoed down the alley, cold and quiet. "Right now."_

"_Oh yeah? And who're you?" The little girl's amber, hazel, light brown eyes squinted and she tried to distinguish who he was._

_Len waited for the alley to clear out before pulling down his hood, letting his golden hair spill out.  
_

_"Prince Len Kagamine. And you are?"_

_His cold gaze seemed to snap the three boys into reality and they gasped, backing away._

"_Er... Leaving...Your Highness, we're sorry-" They dropped the girl on the ground and took off as fast as their stubby legs could take them._

_Len turned and walked away, yet was stopped by a tug on his cloak._

"_Go away," Len snapped icily. _

"_B...But...Are you really the Prince?" Her eyes shined with a sort of youthful vigor, bright and sparkling in the dim light of the alley. Even amidst the rain._

"_Yes," he said shortly. "Now get out."_

"_But, Prince... Sir! C-Can you... Help my mother?"_

_Before he could even begin to protest, Len was dragged to a small, dismal little cottage just scraping the end of the grass on the cobblestones._

_As he was pulled inside, Len looked around at the utter mess of the cottage. These were **living quarters?**_

"_This is my mommy," the little girl grinned, showing him all her teeth. "Isn't she pretty? She's sleeping now."_

_Len knew, as soon as he lay his eyes on her, that she was dead._

_She was lying on something that looked rock hard, a bed. Her skin was pale, eyes closed, almost peaceful. He had to admit she would have been pretty in life, but she looked sickly in death._

_Harsh memories swept through his mind in torrents. He remembered when **he'd **stood in front of his mother, smiling, refusing to admit that she was gone. Peacefully awaiting the moment when she'd open her eyes and smile warmly at him._

_The girl clasped her mother's cold hand. "Well? Can you help me?"_

_He looked down at her earnest eyes, then back at the woman. Then, he knelt down and said to her, "What is your name?"_

"_Yuki. I'm six." _

"_Yuki, was your mother hurting before?"_

"_Yeah, she was coughing and sneezing and she sounded sick. But I helped her!"_

"_Your mother isn't hurting anymore, Yuki." he said to her. Her smile lost its shine and she gazed at him inquisitively. _

"_What do you mean?"  
_

_"She's gone, Yuki. She's in a happier, brighter, nicer place now."_

"_No. She hasn't left me." the girl's stubborn pout wavered at the edges. "No!"_

"_Yuki," he gazed straight into the small girl's eyes. "My mother left me too. She went to a happier place, and now your mother has too."_

"_But... But... She took care of me," the girl's eyes watered with tears of sadness, anger. "Why did she leave me?"_

"_I don't know. I wanted to know that too. My mother left me, and I didn't know why." Len felt his insides prickle. _

_The girl began to cry, tears breaking the barrier of her eyelids and pouring over. She sobbed into her small hands.  
_

_"Why did she leave me? Why did she have to go? Will she come back?" Her eyes were hopeful, but Len shook his head._

"_No," he said in almost a sad tone. "No, she won't come back. Our mothers won't come back, Yuki. But you...You can come with me."_

_Yuki's quaking slightly ceased and she looked up at Len. "R...Really?" she hiccuped._

"_Yes," he said, and, although he didn't really want to, he offered her his hand. She took it and followed him back to the castle._

_After the shock that Luka and Gakupo went through, and the explanations, Luka willingly took the girl in and gave her enough food for someone three times her stature. _

"_Thank you for letting me stay, Prince."_

"_Call me Len," he mumbled as he walked past her. Suddenly, she grabbed his legs in a tight hug. _

"_Thank you so much, Pr- Len. And..." She looked towards Luka, who nodded. "Happy birthday!" She sang, her voice soft and tuneful. _

_She held out a small plate that carried a tiny chocolate cake. "Luka says that you love chocolate. Guess what? I love chocolate, too! It's so yummy. My mommy loved chocolate." Her tone grew sad as she scuffed her shoe against the floor. "I miss her."_

_The ends of his lips twitched and he felt a slow smile spread across his face, whether he wanted it to or not. He kneeled on the floor, recomposing his face lest Luka or Gakupo saw the smile._

"_Thank you."_

ONE ROSE~

Len shook his head as he went to the kitchen. The memory was one of the more prominent ones, one that he bothered to remember, keep locked away in his mind.

Maybe... Maybe Rin would be the one to make him smile next.

Maybe she would be the one to make his life warm again.

...Just maybe.

**Hello;D  
**

**So guys! I'm thinking of doing a Mikuo/Rin Little Mermaid spin off once this is over.**

**Or maybe a concurrent one. O.o**

**Anywaaays... Would you prefer:  
**

**Rin/Mikuo**

**ORRR  
**

**Rin/Len?**

**Or anyone else?**

**And: Do you guys have any other fairy tale requests? I know there are a lot of Little Mermaid ones. Maybe it's overused? O.o **

**That's it!**

**REVIEW:D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hmmm... :D  
**

**So many reviews ~ I feel loved :D**

**So the choices narrowed down to these: (Rin and Len, of course.)**

**The Little Mermaid**

**Snow White**

**Mulan**

**Sleeping Beauty**

**Mulan was popular, but it would be hard for me to do a lot of research for that and stuff. T_T is so lazy.**

**Anyways. Leave a reply? :3**

**Now on to the story:D**

Mikuo flipped a coin on the table, taking a long drink from the mug. He frowned at the man.

"So the prince... He was with a girl? And he talked about giving up the throne?"

"Yes!" slurred the man, almost drowning himself in beer. "He was with a girl... And the most beautiful girl, you shoulda seen her. Like an angel, I tell you! An angel! He said... He said her name..."

He drank again, losing himself in his infatuated thoughts.

"...Something beginning with R. Yes. Or was it S?"

Mikuo was losing his patience. His hand clenched around the glass.

"That silly imbecile is right for once."

Mikuo turned at the calm, smooth, voice, and raised an eyebrow at a tough looking man. The man slowly pushed his mug from one hand to the other.

"Her name was Rin, as he said. And he clearly announced that he was giving up the throne to her. He felt 'regretful' about his actions and he didn't want to impose on us any further. The girl was quite kind. Sweet, you might call her. And yes, she was quite... Quite dazzling."

Mikuo smirked, spreading his fingers to reveal a plethora of shining gold coins.

"Oh, really?"

~ONE ROSE~

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

Rin's scream almost brought down the household.

Len was awake in seconds.

Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, his fur still tousled, he flew to the room in seconds.

"What's wrong," he demanded in a low growl. The worst scenarios raced through his mind- Until he saw Rin cowering on top of her bed, huddled against the wall in the far corner.

"S...Sp...Sp...Spider," the blond whimpered, her knees clutched to her chest.

_Females._

Len mentally sighed and turned to face the tiny creature that had so terrified Rin, when...

His mind went completely blank.

_Holy. Mother. Of. All. Spiders._

_That is **not **an ordinary spider._

It was, by far, the largest spider Len had ever seen. Even in his powerful, terrifying, form, he wanted to cower on the bed next to Rin. It was easily the size of Rin's head, its legs twice as long as each of her fingers.

It slowly crept along the wall.

_How did it even get inside the house?...! It must have... No... **What?**_

Len wanted to whimper. It was hairy. So very hairy. And disgusting. His skin crawled.

"Um... What do you want me to do?" he questioned roughly. Trying not to sound nervous.

She stared at him like he'd sprouted an extra head.

"Get _rid _of it."

Oh, no. No way. No. Just because she stayed here, he was not stuck with pest control.

"What if it's dangerous? Poisonous? I could get badly hurt." he argued, trying to keep calm.

"Just do something!" Poor Rin was pale, and looking quite nauseous. Everything Len was feeling on the inside. She wobbled a little bit, trembling.

"Er... Um..."

Teto looked towards him and sighed. "How about you take Rin into your room? Gakupo will take care of the spider."

"Come on, Rin." he gestured outside and Rin, eyes still glued to the monster on the wall, slowly edged off her bed and ran outside, as if the thing could fly over and land on her head. Len slowly closed the door behind him and led her to his room.

"Er... S... Sorry for waking you up." she apologized hastily, seating herself on his bed. He just looked at her and came over, sitting beside her.

"It's fine," he yawned. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm just very tired..."

"Right. Of course," she said hastily, color rising to her cheeks. How silly, to be distressed over a spider. She'd probably woken everyone up.

"You should... Go back to sleep."

A low rumble caused her to look over, and just as she did, she was met with Len's entire weight against her small shoulder.

"Len?" she asked in a somewhat cautious voice, a squeak escaping her lips as she realized that he was sleeping.

Against her.

A low sigh escaped his mouth and he breathed against her skin. Rin blushed, but felt a small smile grace the corners of her lips. He was so peaceful when he was asleep, Len was. It reminded her that he really was mostly human. He was tired, and he needed to sleep too, just like the rest of them.

He was soft.

Rin grimaced as she buckled under his weight. It wasn't that Len was _large, _but he was very lean, and muscular in a wiry sort of way. Especially in this form. But in this form, the fur added to much of his weight.

But she... She couldn't bring herself to push him off and onto the bed. Not when he was sleeping so peacefully. And he might accidentally rip her head off. Rin tried to ignore the slight cramp on her neck and instead let Len fall in her lap. She smiled softly at him, threading a hand through his coarse hair. Tiredly, Rin looked up at the ceiling.

_Not that I was tired anyways..._

~ONE ROSE~

Sunlight drifted through the spaces between the curtain and the window.

Len's eyes squinted as he attempted to pry them open. He let out a yawn, but stopped when his jaw smacked something.

He rubbed his eyes and looked up, only to see Rin's face. Len frowned and sat up.

_Oh._

Rin was sitting upright on the edge of his bed, slightly tipping forward. She seemed half asleep and half awake, and now she blinked sleepily.

"Oh... Good morning, Len."

Len frowned at her, and then looked down. "Was... Was I in your lap?" The words came out awkward, and his face heated up slightly.

Rin laughed. "Yeah, you were." She seemed very tired, and he wondered why.

"Did you even sleep?"

"Well..." Rin hesitated. Len's glare warned her not to lie. "No. Not really. You were asleep in my lap and... I tried to sleep, but my neck bothered me when I tried to." She waved her hand dismissively, yawning behind her hand. "It doesn't matter, Len. One day without sleeping isn't a big deal."

Len frowned at her and she smiled, getting up. She blinked at him.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're very soft in your Beast form, Len." He stared at her and she frowned, her eyelids drifting over her eyes.

And then she fell forwards, right against him.

"So very soft," she murmured, hands entangled in his fur..

"Rin." Len poked her in the head. "Rin? Wait... Did you mean that? That I'm... Soft?" What? How was he supposed to react to that? Was it a compliment? "Rin?"

She was asleep.

As she usually was when he had a question.

Len sighed.

~ONE ROSE~

"We'll be back in no more than two hours." Len buttoned up his jacket and offered Rin his arm, which she took. She had no recollection of what had taken place when she'd been half asleep. "There are a few places I would like to take Rin to, and... I'm unsure of how much time it will take."

Gakupo shrugged and Luka fixed Len with a glare. "Don't leave her. Always stay at her side."

Len looked at Rin, who had broken away to button up the front of her dress jacket. He nodded, frowning. "I'll rip off the hands of anyone who hurts her."

Rin looked at him, surprised, and then laughed. "That's a bit extreme, but the thought is sweet."

"What? Nothing is sweet about it," he argued with her as they walked outside. "You think it's sweet that I want to rip off an offender's hands?"

"Forget it. You wouldn't understand." she shook her head, a smile smile on her lips.

Len thought she looked rather lovely today, with strands of her golden hair floating in tendrils in the cool breeze of autumn and the dark plaid of her dress coat.

Tendrils? What in the world was happening to him?

Rin was cheerful as she chattered to him about the weather, her life, Teto's antics. Len found that he was unable to look away from her. She drew in all his attention like she was magnetic, and he was trapped by her.

Cheeks slightly tinted pink, she smiled at him and continued her distracting speaking.

_Why can't I look away from her?_

"Len? You're looking at me funny- oh!"

Len gripped her forearm and pulled her close to him, millimeters from his face.

"Why?"

"Wh-Why wh-what?" Rin stammered, blushing at the close proximity.

His wintry blue eyes glanced across her face, fluttering over every detail.

"Why can't I look away from you, Rin?" he whispered, looking conflicted for once. It was gone in seconds, but Rin had already heard him.

"What? I... I didn't know... Er..." She was blushing madly now, and her fingers twitched slightly. "Um..."

"I've tried since this morning. But I can't keep my eyes off of you, and it's bothering me so much." Len's blunt honesty forced Rin into shocking realization.

"Really?"

"Yes." he said. "I feel like... Well... I don't know. Do _you _know why?"

He frowned when Rin took his hand with her own. "I strongly suspect that I do. Come on!" She pulled him down the stony path and Len stared at her.

"Wait, if you know, then why won't you tell me?...!"

She just laughed.

~ONE ROSE~

People stared at them now. Rin was conscious of the eyes that roamed over the 'couple' and they eyed them with a variety of emotions.

Suspicion, confusion, wonder. It seemed many of them were just surprised and a bit happier to see Len not beating anyone up. Or killing anyone. Rin tightened her arm around his and smiled, content.

"I don't like the way they're looking at us," Len scowled. "It makes me feel weird." He dipped his head so his mouth was near her ear. "Are you noticing?"

"Yes," Rin replied in a murmur. "But give them a few days. They're just getting used to us."

People also begun to step aside for Rin, treating her like she was already royalty. Len was just glad that they were accepting her. God forbid they hated her just because she was with him.

"Len!" Rin broke away from him. "I'm going to run to the bakery for a few minutes, okay? I'll meet you at the fountains in twenty minutes?"

"I'll come with you," he said immediately, but Rin just pulled her hand away.

"It's fine, Len. I'll be okay. The fountains in twenty?"

"If you're not there, I will come after you," he threatened. Rin nodded, looking somewhat absent. She thought she saw someone... Familiar...

"Right." she waved at him, running off towards the bakery.

Len frowned after her. _Why did she look so excited...?_

Rin raced to the doors of the bakery and pushed open the door. She blinked in the warm light that streamed in, and breathed in the cinnamon scented air. Adjusting to the warmth of the pleasant little shop, she looked around.

And then a smile crossed her face.

"Oliver!"

The boy turned around, blinking one amber eye. His other was covered up with his white bandages, and his blonde hair was ruffled beneath a cap.

"Rin?" He stared as she threw her arms around him. "Oh, wow. Hi." A surprised smile crossed his face. "Fancy seeing you here. Wait... Why are you here?" He wrapped an awkward arm around her, and Rin looked up at him.

"I'm here visiting a friend," she replied, pulling away. "Why are you here?" Oliver was a family friend, and he and Neru were supposedly 'a couple' according to the village gossip. Although Rin felt as though Neru didn't deserve Oliver, sometimes. She turned back to see Oliver frowning, finger on his lips in thought.

"I'm here on some business. We... Wait. Father said something about your father being very sick, Rin. Does he know you're here?"

"Oh, yes." Rin said. And it was true, Kaito knew she was here. But... Sick? "Wait, Oliver, what do you mean? Is he very sick? Oh, no..."

"I can't be certain, Rin, I'm sorry. But Father did say that he was very upset."

Rin bit her lip. "Oh, dear..." She was now quite worried about her father. "Are you sure?"

_Because I can't lose you... Lose you like I did Mother..._

Oliver hastily cast her an apologetic glance. She was slowly paling, and he was now worried. He shouldn't have told her that...

"Look, I may be wrong, okay?" he soothed. "Calm down, and don't be too worried. I'll find out from Father. Who should I contact if I here news?"

"In three days," Rin said, "I'll come down to the fountains at 1:00. Will you meet me there, Oliver?"

Oliver nodded, holding out his hand and smiling sincerely. "I'll do my best for you, Rin." She clasped it and murmured a soft 'thank you' beneath her breath.

She nodded and slipped away, heading to meet Len at the fountains. She pulled up her scarf to cover half of her face and sighed.

Absently, she looked up. _I hope... I hope Father is okay... Father, please... Please be okay-_

Suddenly, she smashed right into someone.

Surprised aquamarine eyes flitted up, and Rin stepped back.

"Oh, I'm _so _sorry. Will you forgive me? I wasn't looking-"

A cool chuckle interrupted her. Dark emerald eyes and a curious smirk adorned the face of the tall, handsome, boy in front of her. His spidery hand gently lifted hers and he placed a kiss against her skin.

"I believe that was my fault."

Rin gaped at him, slowly drawing her hand away. "Er... Well... Um..."

"After all, I should be thankful. It led me to meet you."

How bold... Rin curiously tilted her head. A coy smile curved up his lips.

"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

"Oh, right." she laughed in a slightly false, sweet, tone and pulled her scarf down. "My name is Rin."

It was so sudden and sharp, but Rin was positive she saw complete shock cross his eyes. Then he bowed his head forward, any hint of the emotion gone.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rin. My name is Mikuo."

"Likewise." Rin smiled benignly. This person made her feel very uncomfortable, and she wanted to get away. She spun to look at the huge clock, and feigned surprise. "Oh, look at the time... I have something to attend to, I'm sorry. I hope to see you around?"

He nodded as she broke away from their conversation and began walking away.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching her, even as she left...

~ONE ROSE~

He'd had his suspicions as soon as he'd seen her, but he didn't really know until she pulled down her scarf.

God... She was even more beautiful in real life. The picture didn't do justice for those sapphire irises, the rose petal lips, the long golden eyelashes...

He wanted her. _Badly._

He watched her retreat, slightly hasty as she hurried towards the fountains, her steps airy and childish. Her hands swung out behind her, and a smile wrestled across her face. Her eyes lit up.

Mikuo moved to the side a bit, frowning, when he saw the reason why she'd run. The Prince himself stood there, arms folded, a scowl on his face.

And he matched the description that Kaito had given him _exactly._

_So the Prince transforms into a Beast. But when? How? And why does she go back to him, smiling like that? Does she enjoy being a prisoner of his? Or perhaps... Perhaps she has been enchanted, bewitched, and she doesn't know that he's an evil monster._

__Mikuo felt jealousy roll in currents through his body. No. The Prince would have to die. And if Rin was to take over the throne... Then Mikuo could have two prizes- Rin and the crown.

_Yes._

She was an angel.

And she was _his._

**Yup. There it is. OBSERVE THE FLUFFINESS :D**

**So... This was somewhat of a filler chapter. (O.o) And don't worry, things will really explode in the next few chapters.**

*** smirk ***

**Anyways, review?**


	13. Chapter 13

**This is actually dedicated to Irene Kagamine-**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for getting me off my ass and posting this chapter. Your review was sweet, kind, and invigorating.**

**Actually, thank you to all of you guys. I was feeling pretty unloved until I saw all your reviews and... I dunno... I was just so _happy._**

**It's just...my parents and I have a pretty rocky relationship when it comes to writing. They don't know I post for Fanfiction- It's a strict secret. I've been getting yelled at lately, more than I want.**

**Just... Thanks again, guys. You're all the best. Pulling me out of a shitty day, making me happy when I'm miserable, and putting up with me and my waiting periods.**

**Thanks. I won't abandon my stories, _ever, _even if it means handwriting and typing it up at a library.**

**Enough of my rambling~! Onto the story.**

"Just a little longer, Rin." she heard him breathe in her ears, and she smiled eagerly.

"I feel so impatient! What are you showing me?" She tugged at the blindfold wrapped somewhat sloppily around her eyes in his haste and he swatted her hands away.

"It's... A surprise."

As they walked, he related to her, "I didn't know whether to give this to you or not, because I didn't know whether to trust you. After..." She almost felt heat radiate off of his being and grinned to herself. "...Yeah. Anyways, I want to give this gift to you. It's... It's something that... Er, that was left behind for me."

"By who?" she questioned curiously, her interest piquing.

"The Enchantress," he responded roughly. "Anyways," he left the subject behind. "Wait here."

She heard clattering and frowned behind the blindfold. "Are you okay, Len?"

"Yes." He cleared his throat and swiftly pulled off her blindfold. As she blinked and adjusted to the warm sunlight streaming through the windows, she turned her attention to the object in Len's hand.

A beautiful, ornate, mirror sat in his cupped hands, perfectly balanced on his fingertips. Rin's hand went to her mouth in awe.

It's surface was polished so clearly that Rin could see every detail on her stunned face. It was in the shape of a perfect oval, the edge blooming with golden flowers. Every two inches at the tip of the bud, there was a round emerald.

"It's _gorgeous, _Len..." Rin hesitantly, delicately, touched a golden lily with the tip of her finger, afraid that the delicate tool would break if she prodded too hard. Its handle was delicately wrapped with slightly green-tinged vines with crystalline leaves.

"It's yours now." He pushed it into her grasp and Rin felt, loved, relished its weight in her hands. She gripped the handle tightly, excitedly peering into the glass.

"...I _love it." _her smile was warm, and she laughed breathlessly. "It's...Oh, my gosh, Len... It's so exquisite..."

"But that's not all it does." he said softly. "Ask to see your house, Rin."

She peered inquisitively at him, but followed his instructions. "I wish to see my house."

Her jaw dropped when clouds swirled inside the mirror, blurring the image of her face. When the fog cleared, Rin's eyes widened as her house filled the expanse of the mirror.

"Wh...Wha..." She almost dropped it, and then her hands wrapped so tightly around the handle that her knuckles turned white. "_Oh. My. God."_

She looked up at Len, dumbstruck.

"Ask to see your father." he continued, looking to the side. He heard her comply, her voice shaky. A second later, her cry echoed in the air as she took in the image of her father sitting next to the fire.

"Len!"

"You can use it to see the people you care about," he mumbled, scuffing the floor with one foot.

Rin stood shakily and, setting the mirror down, she threw herself at him.

"You! Suck! Len!" she yelled, punching every inch of him (not that it hurt that much). "Why did you-" She smacked him on the shoulder fiercely, "-Not tell me about this earlier!" She continued nailing him with her closed fists.

"Because," he winced, "I forgot about it!"

Hair tousled, Rin glared at him wickedly.

"HOW COULD YOU _FORGET ABOUT IT?...!"  
_He scowled.

Glowering at him and turned, picking it up again. She observed her father, the way he reached quavering hands towards the fading embers of the fire. Her eyes softened and her mouth curved into a warm smile as she turned back towards Len.

She hesitantly stepped towards him and stared up at him intently.

"But..." she tapped a finger against her lip, peering up at his still sullen face, "...Thank you so much, Len..."

And she took him by surprise, vaulting up on her tiptoes to nudge her nose against his. His eyes widened as she pecked him on the lips, a sweet and somewhat coy smile spreading across her elfin face.

"Uh...Er... Wh-?" Len was cut off yet again by her petal-like lips against his. His hands threaded unsurely into her hair and he melded her close to him, and she slanted her head slightly. She pulled away, causing him to let out a small noise, almost...Like... A whine...

Len flushed automatically, growling as Rin giggled. "Aren't you like a puppy?"

"_What?" _he immediately snapped, outraged. "I am _not!"_

Rin continued giggling, and Len, still red, glared into the distance.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin grabbed her jacket and wrapped it tightly around herself.

"When Len comes down," she reminded Luka. "Tell him that I'll be back at one."

"He'll be so angry at me!" she wailed, her spout ejecting steam. "Can't you just go with him?"

"Um, no. He'll just be furious if I go, 'Well see, I'm going to see a guy. No need to be worried!'" she retorted.

"He'll be angrier if you do go- Remember what happened with Akaito?" Gakupo reminded her.

Rin raised an eyebrow at him and pouted, turning away. "I have to go see Oli. It's about my father. I have to know how he is."

"Use the mirror!" suggested Yuki brightly.

Rin turned, sighing. "I did. Problem is, he just stays in front of the fire all day, staring into it. I'm _worried. _He won't even turn around. I need to know- with words- what's happening. I'll come back before he even notices I'm gone. Don't worry!" she grinned, and, with a swish of her coat, she exited the mansion.

"Len... Is going to kill us." Luka fretted.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin hurried to the fountains, barely containing her excitement.

_I wonder what Oliver is going to say!_

She sat down at the fountains and made herself comfortable. She crossed her legs and dipped her hand into the fountain. Drawing out cool diamond drops, Rin shook them off her fingertips and laughed.

People hurrying by stopped at her laughter, their heads tilted.

"I'm so glad she's our new leader," one murmured, her arm wrapped around her husband's, "It has been many years since the royalty laughed."

"And she's young, spritely. I think she'll make a good leader."

Rin's heart melted at their kind words and she looked up, eyes bright and soft. She smiled before looking back at the water. Her smile turned sad, her eyelids drifting over her eyes, melancholy.

"_Rin, I don't understand! Why... Why do you turn away from me? I'm your **mother."**_

"_You're no mother of mine."_

Rin drew ripples in the fountain as she frowned, and her face, reflected in the water, was shattered as she splashed through it again.

"_Rin... Rin, please... Rin, I'm sorry..."_

"_I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! How... How could you do that to me...? I TRUSTED YOU!"_

"_I know, Rin, and I'm so, so, sorry... I... I couldn't stop him..."_

"_Because you're WEAK!"_

"_I... I am weak..."_

"_Don't...D-Don't...Don't talk to m-me anymore-...! You...You ruined m-my l-life..."_

"_Rin, please, Rin... Let's talk about this..."  
_

_"No. No! I'm done. I'm done..."_

Rin gasped slightly as she leaned forward, clenching her shirt.

"_...Miriam... Miriam, she..."_

"_What. What happened to her?"_

"_Your mother is dead."_

Her eyes slipped shut, and Rin gritted her teeth in unconcealed pain.

"_How?...! Lily! How did she die?...!"_

"_She was sick, Rin... She was sick and you know it. She was already fragile, already weak. Someone hurt her. Someone hurt her emotionally. The blow was too much."_

"_She died during her sleep?"_

"_No, Rin."_

No, no... That's not how she died. Because it wasn't _only _the sickness. Mother and daughter, fighting constantly. Enemies, but family. Which came first?

"_So...But... How did she die then?"_

"_I was in the kitchen when she started coughing. Lily was outside. Neru was on the porch. You were in the market. She was coughing up blood. She wanted it to end, Rin."_

"_No. No! You're lying!"_

"_She took the kitchen knife- I'm sorry, my dear Rin. My dear, sweet, Rin. Come here, give me a hug. It's okay, it's okay, my precious daughter. It's okay. We'll be okay, I promise. And think, okay? Think, Miriam is not suffering at all anymore. Shh, don't cry. She's happy now..."_

"_How could she ever be happy, Father? It...It's all... All my fault..."_

"Rin!"

Rin was startled out of her reverie. She almost fell into the fountain but staggered, straightening as she grinned sheepishly, somewhat falsely, at Oliver.

"Hi, Oliver! D...Did you find anything out?"

Her heart fluttered, but crashed down into her stomach when she saw Oliver's face, his eyes staring straight at her. They were dazed, but wandering deeper into her.

"O...Oli?" Rin asked, worried, now. Her voice rose in pitch as she pulled herself to her feet.

He swallowed thickly, his fingers trembling.

"Kaito is sick, Rin. Very sick."

~ONE ROSE~

"So." Rin said heavily, her throat constricting with the swell of tears again. "You're saying that he's in bad health and he constantly talks about me."

"Lily says," Oliver looked up at the orange-pink sky, his voice thick with anxiety, "That he won't do anything. He's lapsed into nothingness. He just sits by the fire, even when it's dying, mumbling about you."

Rin bit her nails, something she did only when she was in an extreme state of nervousness.

_What will I do? I... I can't leave... If I do, what will happen to Len? I know that I'm the new Rose, and... I'm positive it will hurt Len if I leave... But my father...! What about my father? _

Pale, Rin looked up at Oliver. He was worried, and his posture radiated tension.

"There's something you're not telling me." her eyes narrowed and her words caught and tripped into each other.

He bit his lip and glanced at the cobblestones.

"Oliver." she said thinly.

"He was talking about someone else. About... About your marriage." Oliver's voice caught.

"My marriage?" Rin asked in a high voice. She let out a hysterical laugh, all the nervousness and tension and anxiety crashing upon her shoulders. "I'm not getting married. What... What was he talking about? I don't know what he's talking about. It's probably because he's sick. Yes, he's sick. Very sick-"

"Calm down, Rin." Oliver ordered, firmly staring her in the face. "You're going crazy. Calm down, take a deep breath..." he frowned. "Or I'll slap you."

She stared at him and then nodded slowly, inhaling. "Yes, you're right." she murmured. "I'm sorry... That was uncharacteristic of me. I just..." She let out a sob now, covering her face with both hands. "I don't know what to do." she mumbled into her hands.

"It's obvious." Oliver said sharply. "Isn't it?" She looked up at him inquisitively. "Come home and tell him that you're perfectly all right and that you haven't, I dunno, died."

_Oh, Oliver. _Rin thought helplessly. _It's not, not, not that easy... I wish it was._

"Why are you hesitating?" he asked loudly. "I mean, there isn't really a choice. Come on! It's only a little while away, anyways."

She shook her head fiercely. "I have... I have to..."

"Have to _what?" _Oliver demanded, looking angry. "Is this more important than your father's health? Is it?" When she didn't respond, he coldly raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Stop it, Oliver!" Rin yelled back, tears pouring in little rivulets down her cheeks. "Stop it." she broke down, grimacing into her hand.

The tears dropped on the stones, leaving tiny marks.

Looking guilty, Oliver hesitantly lay a hand on her small shoulder, gripping it tightly. He hadn't meant to make her cry, and the worst news had yet to come.

"But," she hiccuped. "He'll get better, right? I mean, the doctors will take care of him, right?"

He swallowed again and stared at the ground, eyes painfully downcast. At his silence, Rin looked up, her face tear-stained and her voice shattered. "Right?"

He slowly shook his head, unable to look at her. "Critical condition."

"Wh-What?"

"He's in critical condition, Rin." He trailed off and his fingers curled around hers in a comforting, soothing, yet utterly devastated way. "They think he's going to die."

~ONE ROSE~  
"Oh, so you decided to come back."

Rin kept her face hidden from Len's biting, sarcastic, tone. She heard the worry beneath it, but she didn't care.

"Well, you said, what did you say? You said, 'I'll be back before he realizes that I'm gone.' Well guess what, Rin? It's been five hours." His voice was icy and cold again, just like it had been when he first met her.

She continued to ignore him, making her way to the staircase to avoid conversation.

...She heard him growl.

He grabbed her wrist and spun her back to look at him.

What met him was an utterly desolate looking Rin. Instantly, his heart dropped to his stomach and he growled again.

She evenly stared at him, pushing back her hood. "What is it, Len?"  
He observed her face. "What happened?"

"My father. I want to go see my father, Len. Can I leave?" she questioned.

He stared at her. "You can't leave the kingdom, no. You'd have quite a while to travel by horse. Why?"

"I want to see my father," she repeated.

"Use the mirror! That's why I gave it to you," he scoffed, folding his arms.

"I want to _talk _to him."

"Rin! Be reasonable," he snapped.

She turned away again, gripping the staircase. "I want to go see him," she repeated again like a broken record. "I have to."

"Rin...! I thought this was like your home!" he growled. "What's wrong, anyways? And who made you cry?"

She ignored him, furiously biting her bottom lip.

"_Rin."_

"My father is going to _die, _Len!" she screamed, whirling on her heel. She stumbled backwards, choking on tears again.

He stared at her. "...What?"

"He keeps talking about me to the doctors." she looked up at him, her eyes glassy and more crystalline than ever. "And they think he's going to die." She choked on a sob. "He's desperately ill. And... And I don't..."

Suddenly, all of her was pressed against him, and she was crushed between him and the wall. One wrist was held forcefully to the wall, the other hand keeping her face towards him.

She was so shocked that she momentarily stopped crying.

He let his hands drop after examining her face. He sighed, enveloping her into his arms. Her face crumpled into his shoulder.

"I hate you," she sobbed into his shoulder. "You inconsiderate jerk."

"Thank you," he said calmly. "Now can you please elaborate on what happened for me?"

"Oliver, a friend from my home village, came to tell me about what is happening back at home." She made a noise like a sob, "And he said that Father is in critical condition, and he might die."

"And?"

"What do you mean, _and?...!" _Rin glared at him, stepping backwards. Len blinked. He'd never really been able to cope with females, let alone angry, heartbroken, females.

This was a job for Luka.

"Er... I mean, um, what do you want to do about it?" he coughed, evidently screwing up as Rin's fists closed dangerously on themselves.

"Len," she said in a deceptively sweet voice, coyness underlining the true dark tone. She set her hand on the dining table, still smiling in a sugary voice at him. Her eyes flashed as she threw a fork at his head. He stepped aside, bewildered. "YOU SELFISH MALE!"

He frowned at her. "Rin-!" But he stopped when she just stood there, looking tearfully at him. Her lip trembled as she stared at him.

"Rin," and his voice was fractionally softer. "Come here."

She hesitantly came up to him. He took her hands, holding them against his chest. He leaned in, his eyes hard, yet gentle.

"He's going to die," she repeated again.

"Do you want to go see him, Rin?" he asked softly, brushing away one of her tears with a finger.

"More than anything," she responded in an equally soft voice.

"Then go." he let go of her hands and stepped back.

"What? Really?"

"I mean what I say, you know." he told her. What he was doing, what he was about to let Rin do, was strictly forbidden. Had the Enchantress been here, she would have scolded him. But Len really didn't care. He looked at her bright eyes and nodded. He knew what he had to do. It was for Rin's sake.

"Really, Len? I mean... Really?" she was excited, now. She threw her arms around him, on the tips of her feet. "Thank you so much, Len!"

"But Rin. I... Once you leave the village, I can't come near you, let alone protect you at all. So be careful... And take Yuki."

There were things that he wasn't telling her, secrets that should have been told, yet Rin was too ecstatic to notice.

She grabbed his collar, yanked him downwards for a sharp, sweet, kiss, and flew to the staircase.

"Len..." Luka came to stand by him, her eyes wide. She'd heard the whole conversation. Gakupo also came to his side, staring at him.

"What have you done, Len?" he chastised, his voice stunned. "Don't you know the rules?"

"Better than anything." Len was suddenly tired, weary. "But I just want Rin to be happy."  
"She'll understand if you tell her, Len!" Gumi remarked from the staircase. Had they _all _heard?..!

"No!" He snapped with renewed energy. "...No... I want her to see her father. I've kept her here for over a few months. She's homesick. I... I'm tired of keeping her trapped here. She needs to fly. To be free. Because that's the type of person she is, don't you see?"

They looked back at him sadly, and Luka finally turned away, nodding. "If you say so, Len."

"I _know _so..." he whispered as they walked back to their chores. "And Rin deserves better."

~ONE ROSE~

Mikuo grinned into the face of the blonde boy and slammed him backwards against the wall. He choked, coughing breathily.

"So, what was your name? Oliver?"

"W..." The boy gasped as a fist connected with his lungs. "What do you want with Rin?"

"_Everything," _Mikuo hissed into his ear as he pulled his fist back to nail poor Oliver again. "Now tell me what you told her before I kill you. And I won't hesitate."

"It...It's..." Oliver struggled to speak, and Mikuo patiently waited, his fist patronizing in the air. He gasped for breath, his lungs aching. "Her... Father..."

He choked again, the bruise on his cheek turning red with the passing moments. "...He's going...To... Die..."

"Hm, really?" Mikuo stepped back, causing Oliver to fall in a crumpled heap on the floor. "He was useless... But what will Rin do?"

"...She... She said she had to stay... H-Here... But she want...wanted to go... B-Back..."

_The Beast will never let her go back. _Mikuo thought sharply, kicking the boy's side distractedly. As he let out a grunt of pain, Mikuo turned on his heel, thinking about his next move. He could use Rin's want to go back to her father as a tactic to get her away from the Beast...

She _would_ be his, and soon.

**Until next time~**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi guys. **

**Okay, so on a four-day weekend, so I'm actually updating, lol!**

**Damn... It's been a while. **

***Whimper... No flying books, please...**

*** runs ***

It was unspeakably wrong, what he was about to do. Sending her away, her not knowing that... That she would never be able to return to what had become her second home...

She wished that she didn't have to take Yuki. Not because she didn't love the sweet girl, but because she didn't want to constantly have to watch over her. The ride was rocky and dangerous, and she wasn't sure what Yuki would do once she actually got there.

But the deal that Len made clarified that she was going to _have _to take one of the enchanted members with her if she wanted to leave.

"Thank you so much, Len." she pressed her lips just below his and turned, clutching her bag with white fingers. She cleared her throat and painfully smiled.

His eyes... His eyes were... _Dead..._

Why were they dead? She'd come back...

"Good bye, Rin." he said in a dull, emotionless, voice. Yuki came running forward, clutching her own bag.

"Are we going, Rin?"

Rin took the young girl's hand and smiled, pecking her nose.

Luka tearfully fawned over Yuki, making the last adjustments to her dress. She hugged Rin as well and nodded, stepping back. Gakupo stepped forward like he was going to do the same, but he refrained and stepped back.

Gumi and Teto wrapped tight arms around her, and then stepped back as well. Teto looked dazed, and, ruby eyes glassy, she looked away.

They stood quietly to the side. Rin frowned, hand still raised in half of a good bye wave.

She sighed, brushing it aside, and led Yuki to the door.

"Bye for now, guys," she whispered with a painful smile, yet it echoed through the room. Len's lifeless eyes caught Gumi's. Gumi, who was struggling with her full potential to keep her mouth shut. He shook his head and Gumi tightly looked away, grimacing, hands fisted at her sides.

Gakupo and Luka looked at each other, then away, and backed away from the group. Heading back to the kitchen, they beckoned for Gumi, Teto, and Meiko. Rin had the nagging suspicion that she had done something unspeakably wrong, yet no one talked to her about it.

With a slam of the door, the uneventful silence was broken.

Gumi looked like she was going to burst into tears. "I hate you."

"Stop," Len clenched his fists. "This is harder for me than it is for you."

"You've locked her out," Gumi spat angrily, eyes blazing. "She didn't know this was the last time you would ever be seeing her. Did you _see _her face? Innocence, Len! You've taken advantage of her pure innocence and you feel _nothing? She thinks she's coming back. _You think you can tell me- Luka, Gakupo, Meiko, Teto (Here they heard a telltale sob)- To not '_attach' _to her, and then give her cold good byes?...! And Yuki! What will Yuki say- or think- when she's unable to enter the castle again? Just because she's with Rin...!" They heard another sob from the kitchen.

Gumi stepped back, tears growing in her eyes. "I hate you!" she screamed, wailed to the chandelier, at him, and took off up the stairs, slamming the door to Rin's room.

Len didn't stop her, didn't move. His eyes flickered to the kitchen.

"She liked red. And it looked so pretty on her," Teto was informing the rest of them. "And she... That white dress..." Teto sniffled, and Luka hugged her.

"It's okay... And perhaps it's better this way..."

_It's not It's not It's not... She won't come back, what've I done... I've sent her away, selfishly, and she'll come back... Wonder why we won't open the door for her... Wonder why we've shut her out..._

He imagined panic in her cerulean eyes, confusion in those irises as she pressed her palm against the door. Yuki running up and ringing the bell, calling for Luka.

The mansion emptier than ever, with its residents dutifully ignoring the constant rings of the bells.

He would never step out of the mansion again. Ever.

Whatever he needed, Luka would get for him.

He would relapse into his state of solitude, reclusive and aloof. Unapproachable, because of his attitude. Letting her go, stupidly- Surely the Enchantress would have something to say about this.

He slowly walked down the hallway where he and Rin had had their last conversation.

When he agreed to letting her go, it was because of that sparkle, that... That _happiness _that glowed on her face brightly. What was he thinking, keeping her locked up here? There was probably nothing she'd wanted more than to escape, escape him and the manor.

She was free, wild, beautiful.

She didn't _deserve _to be cooped up, locked up where she could only dream of seeing her family again. He could never do that to Rin.

He _loved _her. There, he admitted it.

"I love you, Rin." he whispered to the air, tasting the words on his tongue. He had never said that to her, had he? Never even told her how much emotion he could pack into those three words.

"I love you." Anguished, now. "I _love you!" _

And with that, he dropped to his knees. Clutching the carpet, his vision became blurry.

He exploded, fur sprouting from his skin, fangs extending far past his mouth.

Luka shivered once, head bowed as his pained roar rocked the castle. Teto looked up as the next desolate howl rang through the entirety, followed by his desperate cries.

They cried.

Even Gakupo was misty-eyed as Len tried to mend his heart together again. Tried to mend _himself_ together as he expelled his pain through the only way he knew how to.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin led Yuki along the road to where Oliver was waiting. His cap was down low over his face, and his tone was strained.

"Ready, Rin?" he murmured. "Oh, who is this?"

Yuki grinned widely. "I'm Yuki," she said proudly. "I'm nine years old and I'm Rin's best friend! Right, Rin?"

Rin smiled, ruffling Yuki's hair absently. "We have a little stowaway, Oli."

"Sure," he shrugged, and Rin saw his fingers clench. "We're taking horses. Course, you know how to ride a horse, right?" Rin nodded, suspiciously, peering at him confusedly. As he turned, the cap slid off, and Rin's eyes widened.

"Oliver-!" she half-shrieked in panic. "What... What _happened?-!" _Yuki stared up at the boy in horror.

Fresh- like _yesterday fresh- _bruises lined Oliver's face, and his good eye was swollen. Rin noticed his slight stagger and suddenly felt sick. Oliver was in pain.

_Serious pain._

She yelped in panic again as he slid forward slightly, grimacing. His amber eyes were frenzied, wild, even.

"Rin," he mumbled. "You... Are in danger." He hissed in pain and Rin's heart wrenched in fear.

"Wh...What do you mean?" Her eyes widened as his hands dropped on her shoulders. He gritted his teeth, and with a grunt of effort, picked her up and dropped her onto the horse.

"What are you- Oli_ver!" _Rin struggled against him as the horse snorted. He hefted Yuki up next.

"Listen to me, Rin. Luki will take you back, but you can't return. The madman is after you... He's obsessed with you, Rin..."

Was he talking about _Len? _Frustrated anger rose up in her and she clenched her fists. "_Who, _Oliver?..!"

"Turquoise hair," Oliver mumbled, and Rin's anger evaporated. She frowned, her eyebrows slanting in confusion. Suddenly, she gasped, hand flying to her mouth.

"Oliver-! You can't stay behind! Stay with us! Come back!" she begged, reaching for him, but he shook his head and moved back.

"_No. _I have to stop him from coming back with you. From finding you..." he stumbled backwards, clutching his side.

Rin's mind flew as she tried to plan her next move. She bit her lip, looking over at Yuki.  
"Yuki," she stammered as quickly as she could. The little girl looked at her in confusion and nodded questioningly. "Take Oliver back to the castle and tell Len that... I..." She looked back at Oliver and clenched her fists. "Tell him I'm not coming back." (**lol, the irony.) **"Tell him... Th...That I love him, okay, Yuki?"

"You're... You're not coming back, Rin?" Yuki's eyes grew wide before she stubbornly shook her head. "No! I won't. You have to come back! Promise you'll come back!"

Rin shook her head, pressing a kiss on the girl's head. "I love you, Yuki. I love you _so _much, okay? Tell everyone I said good bye!" She swallowed her tears, and swung the little girl off of the horse.

"No, Rin!" Yuki yelled, just as Rin swung her leg against the horse. The horse nickered and took off, hooves pounding against the ground. Yuki ran after her, but Oliver grabbed her arm.

"No," he choked, "It...It's not worth it... I...If Rin says she's not coming back..." He coughed as Yuki snatched her arm away..

"No! NO! She _will _come back! She'll come back for Len! She will, 'cause she loves him! You heard her!" Yuki wiped her eyes and nodded determinedly. "She will come back! S-So... You and I... We'll go to the castle."

She took his hand and they made the long walk back to the castle.

~ONE ROSE~

Mikuo looked up as he heard the hooves thunder off in the distance, heard Rin make her escape.

_But I don't need to follow her._

"_Tell him that I love him, okay, Yuki?" _He trailed silently after the two, smirking to himself.

_If Rin loves that Beast, as she claims..._

_...She'll come after him herself._

_All I need is a situation that's terrifying enough, so terrifying that Rin will come running back to her dear Beast._

~ONE ROSE~

Rin flew down the path towards her home, smacking the reigns furiously. Anguish rose in her heart and she exhaled to release the burning weight of guilt.

_That seals it, _she thought, biting back a sob, _I can't go back._

She felt the mirror deep in the trousers that Len had implored her to wear so that riding the horse would have been easier and winced as it dug into her skin. She clenched her teeth and hurdled herself off of her horse.

She flew down the rocky little road, running for the tiny cottage.

Racing towards her house, Rin threw herself at the door, pounding frantically. From the little house came a feeble, high-pitched, "Coming!"

Was...Was that...

The door opened, and Rin came face to face with Lily.

The two sisters stared at each other in shock.

"Rin?"

"_Lily?" _Her sister looked so frail, so tired, so terribly drained. The beautiful girl Rin had left behind had been replaced with a woman who looked as though all the world had collapsed on her shoulders. "Oh, Lily, _what happened?"_

"That mad Beast released you?" Lily asked thinly, in a high pitched voice, accompanied by a strangled laugh. "I see that you're fine! Perfectly happy, in fact!"

"It wasn't my choice..." Rin responded in a quiet voice, and then her eyes enlarged. "Where is Father?...! Is he okay, Lily? Move aside!" she pushed her sister impatiently and entered her home. She was hit with complete nostalgia before her gaze flickered to her father, on the bed.

At his side, staring at Rin, was Neru, also looking as though age had hit her on the head with a sledgehammer.

"R-Rin?"

Rin apologetically ignored her, kneeling by her father. Her hand fluttered over his forehead. At the touch of her cooler, softer, hand, his eyelids flickered.

"Father!" Rin pleaded, her voice straining. "Father, it's me, it's Rin! I'm alive, I'm okay! Please open your eyes!"

There was no answer from the blue-haired man, not even another eyelid twitch. Rin's hands clasped over his and she bowed her head, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Why? Why?! Why couldn't anything go right for her?

In one day, she'd lost the one she'd loved, lost her second family, been told that a maniac was after her, her childhood friend was gravely injured, and her father, it seemed was very near to his own passing. Rin burst into tears, holding onto his hand even tighter.

Forgetting about everything else, she gazed at her father's face, eyes bright with sadness and fear. She was _scared. _Scared that she was going to lose him.

_Why, why, **why?**_

She suddenly sniffled in shock. She was joined by both Lily and Neru, who'd seemingly decided to comfort their younger sister, despite her being gone. Their arms wrapped around her and they held her tight, and she continued crying, because, really, there was nothing else she could do.

And for once in their lives, the three sisters sat together, consoling each other in the simplest way.

~ONE ROSE~

Yuki hit the doorbell over and over, supporting a terribly weak Oliver. She had to be strong for Rin! Len would never accept that she was gone forever from him!

She hit the doorbell over and over, stomping her foot. Where were they?...!

Inside, Luka looked over at Gakupo, confused. She dried her tears and looked at Len, who was also looking at her.

"They're back already? Something must be wrong..."

Len's gaze sidled away as Luka peeked through the peephole. Her surprised shriek rose into the air, and Len got to his feet.

"It...It's Yuki! And she's got a boy with her!"

Len's eyebrows shot up as he briskly walked to the door. She wasn't lying- A blond boy and Yuki stood there.

He searched for Rin and, not finding her there, opened the door.

Yuki calmly helped Oliver hobble into the room, and Luka and Teto lay him on the couch. They gathered into the room, and Luka was the first one to speak.

"Where's Rin, Yuki?"

Yuki's fingers danced with each other and she blinked at Luka. "Sh...She's gone..."

Luka shot up, and Len barely flinched. "What?! What do you mean, Yuki?"

"She went back... But... Maybe Oliver should explain." her eyebrows slanted with worry and she patted Oliver's arm. "Can you, Oliver?"

"He..." Oliver coughed, his breath catching, and Gumi hurried to go get him water. "H...He came and f-found me th...The other d-day..." He looked pale and haggard, and Yuki swallowed, twisting her dress in her hand. "D...Dunno his name... He had t-turquoise hair..."

Len's eyes barely narrowed and he concentrated on what Oliver was saying.

"The... The madman... He b-beat me up," Oliver choked. "H...He's completely _obsessed with her."_

"_Who?" _Len hissed slowly between his teeth, the word escaping as almost a snarl.

"Rin." Oliver coughed. "He loves her s-so _much. _He c-constantly raved about what he would d-do to her. It was horrible... He asked m-me over and over, and then made me t-tell him where she was going..."

"And you _told him?" _Len growled, his fists clenching onto themselves.

"No, he didn't!" Yuki said indignantly. "Oliver told her, and tried to get her to escape before he found them! So Rin left Oliver and I behind cause she thought we were in danger!"

"Sh...She's trying t-to... G-get him to f-follow her..."

"She's such an _idiot!" _Len all but roared, getting to his feet. "A madman's after her? Oh, yes, let's worry everyone and get him to follow her!" He shuddered mechanically, but Gumi smacked him on the shoulder.

"Calm down." she demanded. "And listen. You have to find the guy. If you don't, she'll be in more danger..."

"He c-constantly has that knife..." Oliver blurted. "S-Said that i-if she wouldn't c-come willingly, he'd make her come. C-Calls her 'Beauty.' And he e-even has a p-picture of her..."

Only for a split, brief, second, a bolt of fear raced through Len. The man sounded truly dangerous... But he sat down and calmly stared at the table.

He couldn't get involved... He promised not to...

But she was in danger... The thought made Len quiver...

"Are you positive he went after her?"

Oliver moved his shoulders slightly, the closest to a shrug that he could get. "I d-don't know. I t-tried to p-protect her..."

"Well you didn't try _hard enough, did you." _Len accused furiously, but Oliver's difficult swallow indicated the truth. He massaged his temples and growled angrily at the table.

He grabbed his coat, then. "Fine. I'll go after them."

"Len, you're forgetting," Luka snapped at him, looking frazzled and anxious. "You can't leave the kingdom!"

Len cursed as he yanked on the coat. He pulled open the door and turned, glaring at them all. "I know. But it doesn't matter. I'm going to try, anyways."

"No need." came a calm, soft, voice from outside. "I'm already here."

**Hi. **

**Lol.**

**Okay, want to see me do some advertising? :D **

**If you want to see tough, super-cool, rebellious, Rin, and playboy Len in the same story, I have one called Rebel.**

**So yeah, check it out! xD**

**Okay, I'm done advertising.**

**Len: Ya know, some people don't like it when you advertise instead of typing more of your crappy stories.**

**Me: Hehe, Lenny-kun... I'm going to advertise _you _next... I'm sure LOTS of fan girls want to eat... You... Up...**

**Len: *gulp***

**Review! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well! Examencitos are over, so I updated! XD **

**Actually, this has one of the scenes I wrote a year ago, but never knew how to incorporate into the flow. So, without further ado, I present the next chapter! **

Gumo, groaning beneath his breath, made his way down the cottage path towards the dwelling of some girl named Rin. Stupid Mikuo, making him deliver letters at the most inconvenient of times.

However, as he got down to the little house, he saw a beautiful girl with long golden hair and crystalline eyes kneeling in front of a patch of dirt.

Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was turned in a frown.

Was that Rin?

Gumo's fingers curled around the neat, rolled up, letter and he fluidly crossed the grass to stand behind her. Not wanting to startle her, he cleared his throat.

She squeaked, eyes flying open, and spun to look at him.

...Well, so much for that.

She got up and brushed off her simple dress, eyeing him warily.

"Er... Who are you?" Her voice was soft, with a lilt of sadness. Her eyes were weighed down with the most melancholic despair, and she was nervously nibbling her bottom lip. Gumo shifted, gesturing to the plot of dirt, which, upon coming closer, turned out to be a grave.

"My most sincere regrets," he said in a careful voice. Mikuo had warned him to come off very politely, and that her father was going to die soon. That was why he'd assumed the grave was her father's. Gumo watched as she sighed heavily, kneeling in the dirt.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Not to be rude," she continued pointedly, "But is there any particular reason why you're here?"

Gumo hastily nodded. "Well, I come to deliver a message from Len." He carefully recited the words that Mikuo had hammered into his head. To think he was doing this only for a few gold coins, how tedious. "Er... His Highness requested that this letter come straight to you."

"Len?" she blurted out, quickly covering her mouth after the outburst. "I mean... May I please have it?"

"Of course." Gumo presented Rin with the scroll, which happened to be tied with a ribbon. Rin's fingers trembled in trepidation and anticipation. Excitedly, she pulled open the scroll.

Her eyes scanned the letter.

Again.

Again.

Suddenly, right in front of his eyes, the color left Rin. _Completely. _Rosy cheeks went pale white, her eyes widened, and she looked up at Gumo.

Her mouth opened slightly, and she looked confused, but terrified, a combination that made his heart flutter slightly.

"D...Did L-Len s-send th-thi from you?" She sounded like she was making a sincere effort to keep her voice steady.

"No, he sent it by messenger." _Thank God Mikuo prepped me for this. _"His Highness couldn't... Make it."

That was the blow. The letter dropped from Rin's hand and she flew to the stables. He stared in wonder and confusion as she emerged seconds later, guiding a chocolate horse out. She stared at him for one moment.

"Thank you," she whispered, before hopping onto the horse. With a kick, the horse snorted, flying down the path. He watched as she disappeared into the distance, barely even a dot at the moment. Curiously, he picked up the discarded letter.

It had only one word on it.

**HELP. **

And that was accompanied by what looked like- Gumo recoiled, almost dropping the letter. A handprint. A _bloody _handprint.

_What have I gotten myself into? _He thought, his face ashen.

~ONE ROSE~

"You!" Len snarled, his eyes narrowed in rage and, not that he would ever admit it, confusion. He bared his teeth at Mikuo, making sure that he could see the fangs elongating in his mouth. "You have less than five minutes to explain why you've been _stalking _Rin- Starting _now, before I lose patience and tear you apart."_

If there was ever a time Mikuo should fear, it was then- To everyone's surprise, he kept calm and smiled. Almost gently.

"It's a simple concept you will never understand, _Beast. _I'm an assassin. A hunter, you could say. I was hired by Rin's father after you _swept _her away, kidnapped her. I was supposed to find you, kill you, and get his daughter back."

"You're not doing your job," Len snarled bitterly.

He laughed slightly, arms spread. "What can I say. Everyone wants beautiful little Rin for themselves. Me included. In fact, Rin should be coming any moment now- If she really does care for you."

"What are you talking about?" Len growled, voice low and angry. "She's long gone by now. And she won't come back."

It happened so suddenly that it took Len aback. One minute, Yuki was standing at the door, eyeing Mikuo nervously and edging away. The next minute, she was trapped in his arms, caged in by one arm. The other was bearer to a terrible dagger, one inlaid with rubies and emeralds. The blade was sharpened to a needle point.

Mikuo calmly raised the knife to Yuki's pale skin.

"Yuki!" Luka screamed, and Yuki, terrified, shot a pleading look at Len.

Len's transformation was sudden. He roared, hackles raised, coarse hair taking on the powerful shape of his other half. Icy blue eyes frostily gazed at Mikuo, threatening that either he could let her go or his intestines would be decorating the castle hall.

"You wouldn't dare," Mikuo smirked slowly. "Not when I have this baby of mine at her neck. Think about it- You lunge, I _slip-" _here he dramatized 'slipping' and poked the knife against Yuki's neck. Yuki squealed in terror and Len roared at Mikuo furiously. "-And the poor child is gone."

"What do you want." he asked, low and rough, demanding to know what exactly he was after in this well thought out and twisted scheme of his.

"Rin," he answered simply. "And I want her to be here when I kill you, and trust me. I always get what I want. Come on. You're going up to the balcony. Any move towards me and I slit this girl's throat, and you can bet that I will."

Gakupo lividly glared at Mikuo, slightly pushing Gumi and Luka ahead. If looks could kill, Gumi would have reduced Mikuo to a pile of ashes within record time. Meiko and Teto followed behind. Len followed his staff to the balcony, where rain had started to drizzle and fall.

"Now what." Len burned holes into Mikuo, who smiled and tightened his grip on Yuki.

Len was suddenly afraid. _Afraid. _He was afraid Rin would come, because then this madman would have her. Mikuo was no match for Len's brute strength, but with Rin under knifepoint- Or in this case, Yuki, Mikuo could twist their wills any way he chose.

~ONE ROSE~

Rin thanked the man and pushed a couple gold coins across the bar. He nodded, eyeing her interestedly, and gave her a case.

The case itself was very pretty, smooth black with a gold ribbon gently winding around it. Rin didn't know what to expect but if Len was that badly injured then it wouldn't hurt to be prepared.

She opened the case and her breath was knocked out.

The beautiful little knife was ridged with slight curves, and the handle was sturdy and thick. She liked the feel of it in her hands, smooth and polished.

The blade was flat and gorgeous, and her reflection was clear and pristine in it.

Rin scared herself, thinking like this- She could potentially kill someone with this.

But then she thought about Len, and panic swung in, full-force, again. Her fingers shook as she pocketed the blade into the trousers.

She turned to the castle, hopping onto the horse.

_I'm coming, Len._

~ONE ROSE~

As predicted, there was a violent knock on the door that echoed through the castle. Each knock killed Len a little bit on the inside- So bittersweet, her appearance was. If Mikuo got his way, she would come here- Only to be taken away by the wrong person.

"Answer it," Mikuo gestured to Len. "Anything funny and I swear I'll kill her. Understand?"

A wave of defeat swept across Len, and with it, his transformation. His wet hair covered his eyes and he gave Mikuo a hard glare, angry but, pained at the same time.

"Go on."

Len slowly descended the stairs, approaching the door. Steeling himself, he pulled it open.

And there she was.

Beautiful as usual,with her hair plastered to her neck and face. Tears of fear and her labored breathing indicated her rush to come.

"Len?" she shivered, her teeth chattering violently. Not even a coat. Nothing, in her eagerness to come. Len stared at her, then, in a swift moment, reached out and yanked her body against his, crushing them together. Arms tight around her, his fingers trembled.

_Yes, she's here, she's really here, she's really really here but not mine, she can never be mine-_

"Len," she was tearing up. "Len, I saw your letter-"

_What letter, _he thought vaguely, his mind focused on her and her small form, her love, her breathing, even her smell.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? I came as fast as I could and I-"

_No, but it's you, it's you in trouble it's you who's going to be hurt and I can't do a single thing about it. Don't come. Don't come in, run, run far away and don't look back at this mess of a life I've tangled you up in-_

"Oh, god... Something's happened, hasn't it? Am I too late?" Hot tears landed on his neck and Rin sniffled. "My father died, Len, and I wasn't able to come, I'm so sorry..."

_No, no, no, Rin... **I'm sorry. **It's all my fault you're going to be trapped. Mikuo may be the spider, Rin... But I... I am the web..._

He released her reluctantly, stopping her rambling and incessant chattering by pressing his lips against hers. Rin melted immediately, arms and lips tangled together.

The sweet bitterness of the kiss hurt Len on the inside. It twisted his heart around, making it painful to breathe. He gasped against her, hands entangled furiously in her wet hair. Fire. Fire. Rising in his heart and bonding, melding with hers.

_Love. Love._

"I love you, Rin." he murmured against her skin. "I love you I love you I love you so much I swear to god it hurts."

Rin, the heat of his affection chasing away the cold and wet feeling, looked up at him.

"I don't understand." Rin whispered, nuzzling her head against his neck, seeking warmth. "What's going on?"

"You've done the wrong thing, Rin, we both screwed up. I'm so sorry- We walked into his trap like idiots, Rin, the both of us."

"Len," Rin turned his face down towards hers, her eyes searching and scared. "What are you talking about?"

"Him. The assassin. The teal-haired one."

Again, color was chased away by an ashen sort of pale. "Why is he here? Len? Answer me, Len, what does he want?"

Len's head hurt. And so did his heart.

"You," his head collapsed against hers, and their foreheads pressed together. "We've been tricked, Rin. Tricked and trapped."

"I don't understand, Len-"

"He's upstairs, Rin. He's waiting for both of us. And he has Yuki at knifepoint."

~ONE ROSE~

Rin followed Len upstairs, each step causing dread and fear to weigh her feet down. The sinking feeling in her stomach only increased as they entered the balcony.  
Len squeezed her hand, promising to be there as long as he was able, maybe as long as she needed. Rin's fingers curled around his, but each step seemed to bring her closer and closer to doom.

"I brought her." Len's voice was nothing but a dull, numb, drone. It was low, but some sort of fire was detected with Rin's sharp ears.

Len was angry. Furious.

Mikuo smiled, dragging Yuki over. The closer he came, the more Rin flinched with every step, and the more his smile looked like a leer.

Luka looked horrified that Rin had come, that Rin was going _to go willingly _with him.

"No, Rin," Yuki weakly protested, her lack of breathing caused by Mikuo's arm.

"Let her go," Rin said in a calm voice. Unlike with Len, Mikuo immediately released Yuki and walked over to Rin in swift strides.

"Look at you," he said softly, sweetly, his lips unpleasantly cold against her cheek. "So beautiful." Rin let him perform his gentle ministrations. Quickly, her hand seeked the blade in her trousers. If there was ever a time Rin was thankful she made a rash decision, it was then. She pulled out her blade, and, just as she was about to thrust into his heart, he moved, causing the knife to skid erratically up his arm.

The effect was instantaneous- Mikuo cursed and stepped back, and Rin quickly joined the side of the staff. Yuki was safely encompassed into Len's arm.

He had no one to hold- No one to threaten.

"I wish I had gotten your heart," Rin spat venomously, hating that the person in front of her had blackmailed her father, beat up Oliver, threatened Yuki's life- All just to get to her.

Instead of listening to Rin any further, Mikuo's anger was directed at Len.

"You are just a horrible, cruel, Beast, and you've possessed this beautiful young woman's mind. Show your true form! She is not speaking or thinking correctly, because of the damage you have inflicted on her," said Mikuo sharply.

"Do I look like I'm not speaking correctly?" Rin growled at Mikuo. "I'm perfectly fine! Leave Len alone!" She was now standing protectively in front of Len, who was growling in low tones. The scene was ironic- Rin was petite, Len was a tall. In his true form, Len would be merciless. Rin just couldn't let him attack, or else he would kill everyone.

And Len was _furious._

Mikuo hissed, smirking as he drew out yet another jeweled dagger, easily the size of Rin's fingertips to her elbow. "You've bewitched her terribly, you hideous creature. You deserve to die. Now show me your true form once again! Don't worry, my sweet lady." He flashed a slow smirk at Rin, who grimaced at him in response. "I'll save you and take you away from here."

"Your ignorance is astounding." Rin spat at him, eye twitching. Mikuo yawned, and then raised the dagger.

"Coward, hiding behind a woman. Have you no shame at all?"

"That's it," Len growled, shuddering as he controlled, guided the wave of transformation through himself. He exploded into full form, glaring with rage and barely retained fury at Mikuo. "You won't take Rin _anywhere."_

And with that, he bounded over Rin easily, a growl rumbling through him. He slammed his paw against the ground, causing tremors that made Rin and Mikuo fall over.

"Hide!" Mikuo grabbed Rin's arm, pulling her behind him. "Beauty, run away while you can. This is going to be troublesome."

"She goes _nowhere!" _Len howled, swiping at Mikuo. His eyes were fiery, intense, and if looks could kill, Mikuo would have been ashes in the wind.

"Len, please!" Rin grabbed his hand, the sheer speed and strength with which she tugged causing Len to turn, glancing down at her. She heard his heavy breaths, his wild, panicked, eyes. She saw the anger, the fury, the will that hid behind a tough exterior. Felt the love get to her, causing dizziness to sweep through her.

Rin didn't know it, but torrents of emotions hit Len like a hurricane. He could _feel _her there, _hear _her heartbeat, pulsing quickly through her skin. He could _smell _her fear, accompanied by fresh flowers and the purest scent of moonlight. He felt every moment, knew every second. An arm wrapped around Rin, protectively circling around her small frame. He hugged her close, his other paw still enclosed by her hands.

Rin inhaled.

Mikuo's scowl took up half his face. "Get away from her, you wretched creature."

Len's claw traced down the side of Rin's face. "For you," he said softly, his teeth grinding together. "I won't fight him. For you."

He sighed, but didn't move, didn't pull his hand away from her grip. His hair tickled her skin, but she didn't care.

"Thank you, Len." she whispered, his face caught between her palms. She stood up on her tiptoes and-

"Come back here!" Mikuo yelled. "You coward!" A sneer twisted his lips and he clenched his fists. "Come here and fight me!"

"I won't." Len said sharply, dropping his paw to hold Rin's between them. "I have better things to do, like going back and ruling my kingdom."

"You fool!" Mikuo continued to yell. "You still turn into a Beast! I will tell everyone! Your secret will be exploited!"

"Where is your proof?" Rin demanded to know. "Anything you claim, I will deny. You won't be able to do anything!"

"You both are fools. You will regret this. Don't walk away-!" Mikuo's voice almost raised into a scream. "Will you fight me or not?-!"

"Not," Len said shortly, turning away. They were about to walk back into the castle when an inhumane roar of rage split the air.

Mikuo bore down on Len, the dagger aiming straight for his heart. Before Len or Rin had the chance to even breathe, Mikuo was plunging the knife into Len's heart.

Time stopped.

The entire castle staff, watching Len with pride, gasped in unity and stared. Len himself didn't appear to believe that he'd just gotten stabbed.

Rin couldn't say a word.

Her voice bubbled at her lips, trying to come out, but was trapped inside.

Mikuo hopped off of Len lithely, his lip curled vindictively. He pulled out his dagger and grinned with pride. Len crashed to his knees like a ton of bricks, the transformation taking place instantly. In his weaker human form, blood had already begun to drench his shirt.

"You don't deserve to live." he said softly, as Len's hand crept up to clutch the fabric. Blood spilled over his fingers and onto his shirt, but Rin ran forward and launched herself at him anyways.

"Len!" she screamed, grabbing his shoulders. "Len, oh my god, Len!" She panicked, looking to Luka. Luka's eyes widened in horror and she raced over.

"Keep him elevated, Rin, I'm getting a cloth and hot water." She raced back inside, Gakupo at her heels.

"Len..." Rin whispered, her tears falling onto his cheeks. "Len, you c-can't d-die." A muffled sob escaped her lips as she covered her mouth. She tore off a strip from the bottom of her skirt and wrapped it around the wound. She applied pressure, all the while trying to ignore Len's pale face.

A frustrated cry left her as blood stained the makeshift bandage completely crimson and Rin's head fell onto Len's chest. She sobbed, her arms clutching his waist like a lifeline.

"Rin," he breathed, her name a whisper on his lips. "Don't cry..."

"You idiot!" Rin yelled in anger, her hands trapping his face between them. "You idiot." She broke off, tears causing her voice to choke up. "You're going to die, it's all my fault... You could have just let me go!"

"Never, Rin," he said softly, his palm on her face. "You saved my life. You stopped me from destroying myself and everyone I love. Because of you, I was... _am..._ different. _Thank _you."

Rin sobbed harder, the rain mingling with the salty tears and only dampening Rin's mood farther. Her heart faltered and crashed into her stomach.

"C-Come on, Len. Let's go. I'll take you inside. I won't let you die out here." Rin swore, her voice dipping low. "I won't."

Suddenly, she was ripped away from Len. Mikuo had her arms tight in his, and she heard the malicious grin in his dark voice.

"Come on, precious."

"No. NO! Let _go _of me, you-!" Rin felt him grab her hand and drag it to his eye level. He crushed her against him, using the other hand to pull out a-

Rin felt her heart stop as she blinked through her wet bangs in disbelief.

A wedding ring...?

"Your father promised," he said silkily. "That once I killed the Beast and saved you, I would get your hand in marriage."

_Oh, Father! You were trying to save me, but...But..._

"Give me your hand, love."

"No!" Rin screamed, thrashing against him. "Let me go!" Yuki and Teto were in hysterics, Meiko seemed to have completely shut down, and Gumi was looking furious. She attempted to attack Mikuo, but he sidestepped and grinned, brushing her aside. Len blinked rainwater from his eyes and tried to comprehend what was going on. The pain was unbearable, mind numbing, and he felt his fingertips go cold.

What was going on...? Rin... He saw her struggling, bucking and kicking at Mikuo.

_What is he...Doing...To...Her? _

Len's chest was on fire, and he moaned in pain, his hand clutching the bandage even tighter. He watched, watched as Mikuo wrestled a ring tightly onto Rin's- _His _Rin's- finger. Rin screamed in frustration, violently trying to shove him away, her hand reaching out to Len. But all Len could see now was a haze. He tried to refocus on her, but he couldn't.

Rin felt determination bolt through her like lightning. She was not going to let him take over her like this. She had to retaliate.

"Gumi," she yelled. Mikuo's grip tightened around her upper arm and he hissed at her to be quiet. Gumi bounced over, her eyes widening as Rin threw her entire weight against Mikuo. Mikuo stumbled at the ledge.

His eyes flashed and he screamed at her.

"Have you gone _mad, _you idiotic girl?-! If I fall, you'll fall!"

Gumi's eyes lit up with understanding.

Pulling out the knife again, Rin thrust backwards. A sick feeling coiled in her stomach when she heard his scream of pain.

Rin pushed Mikuo to the very edge, where he teetered. With one last shove, Rin knocked him over.

Gumi threw her hand over the edge and Rin grabbed it. Mikuo's high scream vanished into the air as he fell to his death. Rin listened for a noise, but there was nothing. She gripped the slippery ledge and blinked down at the abyss of darkness.

"_Ah-! _I can't...Hold...!" Gumi tried to pull her up, and Meiko rushed over. Using Gumi and Meiko, Rin pulled herself up, her knees crashing painfully against the rock. She gasped, looking over the edge once more.

The slightest twinge of regret twittered through her, but with one glance at Len, she braced herself, steel in her eyes. She raced back to Len's side, her hand smoothing back his hair as she stared at the wound.

So...Much...Blood...

Rin felt the hot tears tickle the edges of her eyes again.

"W...Where...Is...H...He...?" Len spit out, his face still as white as snow.

"He's gone, Len," Rin said softly, in a gentle voice. She had to be strong for him. Pain grabbed her heart in its gnarled fingers and crushed it. She gave the most forced smile to Len that she could muster.

"D...Don't...P...Pret...end...For m-me..."

Rin broke into pieces, covering her face in both hands. "I'm going to lose you, Len...I don't want you to die, though..." Her blond hair fell, in wet fronds, over her eyes. Blinded by tears and rain, she took his hand and pressed it against her face. Kissing his palm desperately, Rin lay against his chest, her teeth in a grimace of pain.

She felt his sweet pulse drum slower and slower, underneath her fingers.

"I...I love you, Len..."

"I love y...You...Too, R...Rin..."

"How adorable!"

Rin spun around, tears and rain blinding her eyes. She rubbed them clean to see a tall woman glide towards her and Len. She had long, snow-white hair and dark red eyes.

"Ah, my beastly Prince. I never would have imagined this day, goodness... Oh, my. It seems as though something is wrong, dear..." She gave a mildly concerned glance towards Len. Rin felt her heart spike up and she spoke with broken words.

"Y-You're... You're the...Enchantress, aren't you..."

"Ah! How rude of me," she mused. "Yes, indeed. You must be Len's Rose! What's your name, lovely?"

"Please," Rin ignored the woman's question completely. She abandoned all shred of dignity and threw herself at the woman's feet. Hands clasped together, she gazed up at her. "Please save him, please... I'll do anything for him, for you... Anything...!"

Rin looked up at the woman, looking fiercely determined.

"I'll even sacrifice myself."

**Well. That was fun. As you can see, I cleverly avoided a fight between my two favorite male Vocaloids...**

**/shot. Actually, I avoided it because I wanted Rin to kill him.**

**So! Will Len live or not? Will they get the happiness they so desire?**

**Dunno~ **

**:D**

**Review, please! I'm addicted and they make me happy. :3 /shot.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Guys, I- I don't even... I'm _so _sorry... D: This has the current happening of the entire curse cast by the Enchantress, so it may seem deja-vu-ish. I don't care if you read it or not, xD, but just wanted to put it out there. OH YEAH. AND IT'S IN RIN'S POV THIS TIME. SO IT WILL BE A BIT DIFFERENT.**

There was an infinite, indefinite, pause.

"How interesting," the woman said. "You aren't lying, darling... You're 100 percent sincere. Tell me, do you love Len?"

Rin nodded without hesitation, still at the woman's feet.

"Get up, darling."

Rin slowly rose to her feet, her hands still clasped together. Len's eyes had slipped shut, and he looked really truly dead, right at that moment. He probably had minutes, or maybe even seconds...

"Do you promise anything?" She asked seriously. "There is a price for bringing a person from near death, and it's not a small price."

Rin trembled, but her eyes lit up with a determined fire.

"Anything," she vowed softly. "But not only Len's life...I want the curse lifted as well. The curse that binds the castle staff and Len."

The Enchantress gave a wry smile, very similar to the one that she'd given just before she'd departed the last time.

"Aren't you _quite _a bargainer?" The Enchantress floated down for a moment, ethereally. Rin looked up, eyes frightened, wild, like a small animal. She shivered, and the Enchantress cupped her small face in soft, withered, hands.

"Would you like to see something, Rin?" The Enchantress questioned, a blissful smile curling her lips.

Rin looked back, terrified, at Len.

"Len, he'll die-"

"I'll keep him sated for now," the Enchantress said gently. "I am going to return you to the past. There are untold stories, Rin... You have no idea what the answers are. How was Len before he changed? What kind of things did he do? How did he treat others? Answer me, sweetheart... Did you want to know the answers to those questions? You wondered why he never told you, no?"

Rin looked tearfully back at the staff, and Yuki bit her lip. She looked over, shrugging her frail shoulders and Teto examined her palms, tears gathering in her eyes.

"What will happen when I come back?"

The Enchantress shrugged. "We can consider terms for saving my little beast's life." She tapped a finger against his threads of flaxen hair and her lips curled upwards. On her it looked rather sinister, but for lack of answered questions Rin looked straight ahead at the Enchantress and, unflinching, nodded.

"Please," she murmured. "Let me go back and meet Len... Before."

There was a swirl of gentle orange light, accompanied by small blue fireworks. Hair swirling around her, Rin was raised into the air awkwardly, her hands and legs splayed. She yelped as she was swung upside down, and felt unfamiliar clothing drape her body.

"What's going on?...!" Rin was flipped back upright, and thrust backwards violently into some sort of spiral. Her eyes widened, mouth parting in shock. She was dropped onto the ground carelessly, and for a minute, lay on the soft carpet, unmoving.

Breathing in, Rin winced as she sat up slowly. Her ribs ached, and that wasn't the only thing different.

The castle was... Brighter. Red tapestries hung from the windows, bright and undamaged. The wallpaper clung tightly to the walls, and the rug was soft and plush. Rin remembered that Len had destroyed the castle after he became a beast.

The next thing she noticed was the fact that her _skin _was a damp gray pallor. Alarmed, she shot to her feet, only to notice that her feet barely grazed the ground.

Ah, so she was a ghost, it seemed. She looked around. Hearing yelling from the throne room, she advanced- or drifted, either way it was a very weird feeling -towards the room.

"Release the _peasant, _Guard." called a bored voice. Lazy and uncaring as it was, Rin would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Len," she called breathlessly, twisting easily away from the surprised guard's grip. Her eyes were rewarded with the sight of Len, healthy and unhurt. A bright smile crossed her face, but slipped away just as quickly.

He sat up, eyebrow raised. His eyes were sharp, stinging, a violently icy blue that made a chill slither down Rin's spine.

"L-Len," she murmured, his name falling from her lips and tainted with confusion.

He smirked and looked down at the woman kneeling in front of him. She looked up in fear, tears of pain and hurt flowing down her pretty, youthful face. She had a baby bundled to her breast, and it was squealing madly.

"Please," she begged. "Please let my husband go, I'm begging you. I can't take care of my baby, I'm too poor. I need him..." Len continued smirking.

"We can't go around releasing peasants," he cooed in an unrelentingly brummagem voice that dripped with false sweetness.

Outraged, Rin was about to fling her shoe at him when the door opened and a man a bit younger than Kaito was shoved in.

Brutally, a guard solidly thrust his boot into the man's back, shoving him to the floor. The man cowered slightly, but anger radiated of his being in waves. His eyes bored furiously into the floor.

"What's this...?" Len's attention was thankfully drawn away from the lady, and Rin followed his gaze to the man on the floor.

"Requested- No, demanded an audience with you, Your Highness." A guard sneered. Rin's lips twisted into a frown as she realized why Len got rid of all his guards after the transformation.

"Well, filth? What have you to say?" Len frowned slightly and appeared to not care very much about the state of his subjects. Rin tried her hardest to hang on to the shred of hope she had left that Len was really a good human being- Just confused.

"You burned down my home! I lost everything!" The man raged, pounding a weak fist against the floor. "You terrible Prince- You're nothing like your mother and father! Just a spoiled brat with too much power to handle-"

"Enough," Len drawled, bored with the man. His eyes flicked over him like he had grown tired with his existence. He flicked his wrist, tapping a nonchalant finger against the seat edge. "Guards."

There was a split second of heavy silence before Rin saw the spear driving through the man's stomach. Her entire body screamed, and her eyes, transfixed with horror, could not leave the gruesome scene. A strangled cry escaped her lips and she crumpled, ending up on the ground awkwardly. Her hands flew to her lips as the man collapsed, coughing up blood.

"In one shot, too," Len mused. His eyes met the lady's and he smiled cruelly. "Is this your first witnessing of death? Keep your eyes open, then."

"You will... Meet your end, soon..._You monster." _The man heaved, and fell to the ground, his eyes still. Rin almost fell over herself, backing away frantically. Tears built in her eyes and she let out a muffled sob, her entire body wracked with horrified chills.

_He'd killed him! Killed him in cold blood! Ruthlessly! _Rin couldn't look away from the red-stained mass from which crimson exuded, drenching the already red carpet. _How many more? How many others? _Her eyes burned with pure dread, and that last shred of hope snapped like a weak thread. Rin grimaced, drops falling from her eyes and staining the ground.

The last death Rin had witnessed was her mother's, and she'd only seen the body. The blood-soaked body and the knife hanging limply from her hand, loosely connected to her fingertips. And that enough had sent Rin spiraling into terrible sicknesses and frailty. This, though... This was...

_Obviously, Rin, this is... _Jeered a small voice in her head. A sickly sweet echo imprinted itself off of the next word, repeating over and over. _...**Murder.**_

Yes, Len was a murderer. A heartless, cruel, murderer. A monster. Had anyone else told her in the future, she would have snapped in defense of her lover. This very notion caused her insides to twist violently and ragged gasps to escape her lips.

Len was a murderer. A murderer! Rin wanted nothing more to do than curl up on the floor in fetal position and sob her heart out. This was who she loved. This was Len. The reason he didn't want to tell her was because it would obviously _distort _how Rin viewed Len.

"Now now," Len said, his voice soft. It did nothing to comfort a stricken Rin, because she heard danger lurking in his voice. But he wasn't looking at her, thankfully, he was looking at the lady. He lifted her chin up with one cool finger, raising her eyes to his. "So unless you want that baby and yourself to meet the same end," his voice chilled to ice, "Get _out."_

"What monster were you?" Rin whispered, her voice choked with anger and fear, forgetting that Len couldn't even hear her. The lady pushed away his hand, tears streaming down her face even more. She turned, whispering soothing words to the little baby boy in her arms, her tears dotting its chubby, sweet face. Rin peered over her shoulder and her heart thrummed, clenching against itself when she met eyes with the twinkling ones of the child.

Narrowly, Rin wished that the Enchantress would show up and curse Len just so she wouldn't have to put up with his spoiled self any longer. She just wanted to curl up and cry to herself. Could it be true? That she actually changed Len?

When Len had offered the throne to Rin, Rin had been indignant that everyone was yelling at him so. Now she felt like she could stand there and yell with them. She may not have been a leader at all, but anything was better than what Len was acting like, right?

"I feel somewhat sorry for him." Rin could place that voice anywhere. She followed her ears and the sound of Luka's melodious voice to the kitchen, where Luka was standing against the countertop. Gumi was leaning her head against the older's shoulder, and Gakupo had his back to them. He was furiously icing a cake and had something else in the oven. Rin knew, even though he didn't turn, that he was rigid with tension and anger.

"With Len?" Gumi demanded in every bit of the voice she had in the future. "As if! That's the fifth peasant in two weeks, and all of them had the same brutal end! To be a leader, you need someone to _rule." _Tears rose in her eyes, frustrated welling, and she choked out a sob. "I hate it, I hate... Cleaning blood off of the rug, and... The smell, it sickens me..." She crumpled against herself, and Gakupo turned.

His eyes were icy even though he spoke calmly. "I agree with Gumi wholeheartedly. Len is cruelly slaughtering his people, and soon there will be no one to even command anymore." He tapped Gumi with two reassuring fingers on the shoulder and Gumi looked away, her eyes cast downwards. Eyelashes flickering with tears, she sniffled.

"But," Luka said in such a melancholy voice that Rin shuddered, "But Len still needs a wife. Ever since his parents died, he's been so lonely. And he's taking that out on the people. If he had some kind of lady with him, someone sweet and kind, do you think that maybe, maybe he'd change?"

"Loneliness is _NOT-!" _Gakupo began, his voice raised, but at Luka's flinch, he dropped the volume to one that implicated gentle firmness. "Loneliness is _not _an excuse to murder a group of people, Luka. Perhaps a lady will change that for Len, but for now, his behavior is _unacceptable." _he emphasized the last word and washed his hands.

Suddenly, Rin heard a sort of commotion coming from the throne room. Unknowingly followed by Luka, Gakupo, and Gumi, she went out into the wide, sweeping room.

The guards had thrown down an old, frail woman in front of Len. Rin suddenly felt a cold pit of foreboding in her stomach, and for some reason, she _automatically _knew she was looking at someone powerful. _Could it be...?_

She started as Gumi walked right through her to see better, and stepped to the side as to not get walked through again. It was quite an unpleasant feeling.

"Please, Prince. Prince Len... I need food. Just a piece of bread, no more. Nothing more, I promise." She was just an old woman, poor thing, covered in a gray, fraying, cloth. Limp, thin hair framed a pallid face, and she was bent over as if in terrible hunger and pain. Rin doubted the lady could even barely walk, and felt a warm surge of pity and sympathy.

"Ha," Len laughed cruelly. "Beggars like you just make my castle floor filthy."

"Please, Prince!" Rin stepped forward in dismay as the woman wailed, clasping her hands together. "Just a piece of bread," she pleaded.

"Guards." Rin flinched when she heard that, and turned her eyes from the woman to Len, wishing he was different, wishing he was _her _Len. But he wasn't, and even as his tall guards ran to capture, or maybe kill, the woman, Rin was forced to close her eyes and chillingly accept that this was who Len used to be, and there was nothing she could have done. Perhaps she had changed him, but in this state, even she wouldn't have been able to do anything.

The woman suddenly straightened, a skeletal grin on her face. She also began to glow, and the light lit up the entire room. Her radiance caused beams to burst out of the stained glass windows, and her thin, bony fingers straightened to elegant hands. Her skin developed a sheen of youthfulness and her eyes twinkled with bright, acute scrutinization. Silky white flowed in a waterfall down her back, in thick waves that barely grazed the floor.

Her maroon eyes fixed on Len, and, now beautiful, the Enchantress stood in all her glory in the throne room.

She let out a cackle, stepping forwards.

"So, you spoiled Prince. You are just as wicked as all the villagers say you are. I'd say you need to be taught a lesson, yes?" Her voice, although clean and as musical as bells, carried a current of disapproval.

"Wh...What?...! What evil magic is this? Guards! Get her, throw her out!" Len rose quickly, stumbling slightly, and clenched his fists in anger.

However, the Enchantress was not to be meddled with. Rin, Gumi, Luka, Gakupo, and the rest of the staff who had joined them, watched in awe and terror as the Enchantress reduced the guards to dust.

The woman giggled sweetly, deceptively and smiled unkindly at Len, who seemed to have visibly whitened greatly. Rin felt a rush of sudden approval, and then hated herself automatically.

"No, your fate will not be death. I will make you suffer worse than that. There are things worse than death, you know." She pondered for a moment and smiled, gesturing widely towards the staff.

"They will also suffer for your cruel deeds, unfortunately. Your pain will be hideousness. Your castle grounds will be enchanted, and only you can leave the castle alone. I curse you, Prince Len, with bringing out your true self: A horrible Beast!"

She waved her hand emphatically and Len let out a scream that caused Rin to wince. He crumpled to the ground, and brown hair exploded over his skin. In seconds, he was rearing back, completely covered with the coarse fur. Rin looked away, her stomach jumping at Len's obvious pain. Fangs shot past his lips and claws that were just as long sprouted from his fingers, digging violently into the carpet.

Len rose, a terrifying reflection of his brutal personality. His eyes flashed with rage and murderous intent.

"What have you done to me, you horrible witch?-!" Len roared, looking down at his paws, examining the sharp weapons. He growled in pain, in frustration, in anger, and ripped the carpet apart where he stood. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

The Enchantress smiled benignly.

"I have merely brought out your true self, and now, for the staff. For the chef, he will become the oven in the kitchen. The helper and her assistant, a teapot and a teacup. For the maid, she will become the broomstick. The dresser, a wardrobe, and the doorwoman, a coat rack."

Rin automatically moved out of the way as a shower over golden sparks rained over the staff. Some landed on her, but they slipped right through her harmlessly.

"Why are you cursing them?...!What have they done to you?" Len growled, swiping an enormous vase off of the table next to him.

"Ah, so you are not all bad. How about I make a condition with you, Prince? I will give you this rose. This rose will give you the power to transform into a human for twelve hours, and become a Beast for the other twelve. This applies to your staff as well. However, this rose will not stay forever, Prince. You will find another rose, in a very different form. When you learn to love, the curse will be broken. Mend your cold heart, dull your sharp tongue, and when you do...Perhaps you will find that there is some hope for you." The Enchantress seemed to glance back at Rin when she said this, and with a chill, Rin knew that she was talking about _her. _She felt tears prick her eyes for no apparent reason at all and looked downwards, feeling drained and defeated.

And just like that, there was a whirl of sparks and golden light, and Rin was thrown into a spinning vortex of colors and orange glows again. With a thud, she landed on the slippery stones of the terrace, groaning as she looked up at the sky.

Trying to regain herself, she clutched her head and sat up, looking around. The Enchantress stood there, calm and peaceful-looking, using her hand to constantly force light into Len's wound. Upon seeing Len, Rin suddenly felt her stomach twist. She looked away, and knew she had to make a choice at the moment.

"What did you think, dear?" The Enchantress smiled blandly.

_What do __I think? _Rin struggled to speak, and then willed away her tears.

She looked up at the sky, closed her eyes, and remembered. Remembered the scared, pathetic thing she'd been when she first came to the castle. The first day she'd been there- How scared she'd been.

How much had changed.

She had not done this- She had not come all the way to Len's castle, not made friends with the staff and Miku, _not _agreed to take over the throne with Len, _not _befriended the peasants, _and __definitely _had not fallen in love with Len and killed Mikuo just so she could watch him die.

The past was the past. The present the present, the future the future, and she could change two of those three things. Rin felt her heart pound, and suddenly, everything was clear.

They said love made you go crazy. Maybe that was true. Maybe she _was _crazy, but no... No, because when you were crazy, nothing made that much sense, and everything made sense to her.

She loved Len.

"I love Len," she said, and the Enchantress looked startled. Rin looked up at her with stars twinkling in her eyes, even though she was not smiling. "I love Len," she repeated. "And I can't change the past." The words flowed out easily. "I can't change it, and he deserves to suffer for that. But he has suffered, and he's ready to change. He's willing to change _for me,_ the kingdom,and I'm willing to accept that. And..."

She knew what she wanted to do, even as she knelt next to Len.

"And I'm willing to die for that."

The Enchantress looked unhappily startled. "That is the only way to bring him back, you know that, right, Rin?"

Rin glowed even as she smiled, and Luka and Yuki staggered forwards. Gumi and Teto were stunned silent, and even Gakupo's jaw slackened.

"I know that. But before that, I want... I want you to keep him for just a few days... I want..."

She looked up, radiant as ever.

"I want to marry Len."

**Now, before y'all threaten to _murder _me, I have a plan.**

** I can't tell you whether Rin will die or not, and I'm sorry. But maybe if you review, I'll get it updated in, oh, you know, LESS THAN THREE MONTHS. xD**

**So... Don't kill me. Just wait. I promise the ending will not... Well, I don't know. xD **

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW~ :D **

**~Alias**


	17. Chapter 17

**Last chapter, guys. **

***tears up* I honestly love this story so much- it's hard to see it end. Remember that I love all of you- even those who threatened me with death XD**

**I'm listening to Sacred Grove on YouTube, you know- Legend of Zelda? Guys, beautiful music makes these chapters. Anyone who liked this story- You have soundtracks upon soundtracks of video game music to thank:) I think I might start crying or something. **

**So what's next? Possibly another fairytale, maybe... I don't know. We'll see. With exams coming up, I'm dead busy. That's why it's all taking so long.**

**Oh! Check out my other stories if you don't want to wait... Rebel is in crisis of lack-of-reviews. *is killed for being greedy* Aaaand... Well. Guys, I love you. I guess I don't want to start because I'm afraid of the end. Aren't we all? But... *sigh* I hope this ending doesn't break hearts. Well, you're all strong- In fact, by getting the aid of many friends, I think I know you guys will like it:)**

**Without further ado, I present to you the final chapter of One Rose for Another.**

**_Gratias vobis ago._  
**

"Oliver, Rin, come on." A very exasperated Len made his way up the grassy slopes of the hill, climbing towards his destination. "I'm going to leave you two behind." Rin had chosen Oliver as the name of their firstborn after her friend, who had died months later.**_  
_**

Len sped up slightly but Rin somehow managed to catch up, her smaller fingers wrapping around his. She flashed him an adorable smile, even managing to outrun him. He rolled his eyes and allowed her to drag him further. He allowed Rin to do many things for him, like get her way at home and melt his heart with those eyes.

"Father," Oliver complained. "One of the roses is losing its petals." Len flashed his oldest an exasperated look and finally reached his destination. He knelt and lay the roses down on a patch of land, his heart skipping a beat as he held Rin's hand tighter. Oliver finally walked up alongside them, his twig-woven basket overflowing with bright red roses whose petals trailed the path behind them.

"Daddy?" His second child looked up, her eyes as bright blue as the spring sky above them. Rin lay her own rose down on her mother's grave and grinned- another heart-meltingly sweet smile that mirrored _her _smile exactly. "Are you going to say som'n for Mommy?"

Len just looked at her unseeingly for a few moments, but then nodded his head quickly. Looking at the beautiful child, for a moment, overwhelmed him with memories that he never tried to forget. "I miss you so much, Rin," he whispered, holding hid hand in a fist to his heart. "More than I can describe..."

~One Rose~

The wedding had been splendid, despite both Rin and Len knowing Rin's fate. Len knew the Enchantress was not kind, merely businesslike. She had standards, she had bargains, and something had to go her way. If anything, this was a big step for her to make.

Rin had looked magical, draped in freshwater pearls and a gauzy veil that lay gently over her face. The crown of white roses formed a wreath around her head, and her dress's train was long, held by a very enthusiastic Yuki. She had laughed and smiled that day, more than she ever had before- that day, she had been brilliant. Perhaps, even though she had known, she had managed to pull herself together and beam with the radiance she'd always harbored within herself.

He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her, not for one second- despite Luka constantly smacking his head to preserve the surprise of how pretty she looked. Not that it mattered to Len- Every time he looked at her, she looked even more radiant than she had the previous time.

Miku had even shown up as Rin's personal wedding and dress planner, working efficiently with Gakupo to force Len into several ill-fitting wedding suits, before Rin shyly picked out a very dark blue suit that she appeared to fancy, and it was immediately chosen.

Len's hair had been ruffled, combed, violently messed up, smoothed down, watered down, spiked, and combed again. Now he was bored, annoyed, and restless- the sooner this was over, the better. Looking back on it, Len had to smile the tiniest bit- He'd been quite the immature unmarried man. Now he would kill for a moment, a moment just to hold her hand and gaze at her, lovestruck.

Meiko and Gumi, it seemed, had gone crazy with the roses. Everywhere Len turned, he saw the flower- in Rin's hair, in her bouquet, even decorating the arch that Rin was to walk through. Everyone was near tears. Even the Enchantress seemed slightly misty-eyed, although Len was positive the woman was incapable of sadness. He also wondered whether this was all a joke, the roses, or whether it was a display of their beauty and symbolism- A tribute to both him and the Enchantress.

She had promised Rin this much: She would get married, and have two children- however, the birth of her second would be her own death. Rin had readily agreed in exchange for two things: Len's life and the spell's reversal. After sealing the pact, Len's life was spared, and the spell immediately lifted.

Now, as music began to play- not "Here Comes the Bride," to Len's dismay, but an odd collection of randomly played instruments (oh well. He knew his entire kingdom was crazy) -Rin, accompanied by Oliver, who was alive at the time, floated down the aisle.

All would have went well if Rin, who was her usual clumsy self, hadn't tripped over a wayward ribbon and fell straight into his arms. She, of course, blushed immediately and stammered apologies, but everyone else thought she just couldn't wait to jump into his arms.

"Rin," Len murmured, unable to keep that small grin off of his face. He lifted the veil, but before he could spring his surprise kiss on her, she was yanked back by Gumi, who was scowling.

"Not. Before. The. Vows," she hissed, dragging Rin back by the arm. Len shot her a glare and groaned, throwing his head back. This was torture. But he'd promised Rin that he'd be on his absolute best behavior, so he was going to have to shut up and put up with whatever was thrown his way. And that meant, _even if Rin herself was thrown his way, _he had to man up and go through the vows.

The vows seemed to fly as Rin straightened next to him. Before, Len had wanted the wedding to just end so he could pounce on Rin. Now he wasn't sure.

He looked Rin next to him; her face was tilted upwards. Her eyes were bright, very bright- like there were tiny stars in them that kept them alight.

God, but he loved her and he was going to lose her- and he couldn't believe it.

Then Rin was saying "I do," and Len was saying "I do." Then they were kissing again, as seemed to be what Len was doing a majority of the time in the months preceding the wedding.

But then, it became worse.

With the wedding over, Len seemed to realize, with horrible clarity, how much of Rin's time was actually flying away. They were afraid to have children, both knowing very well what two children meant. And with the danger of twins, or careless midnight endeavours, Rin would leave him forever.

They couldn't help it. The first night they'd lay together, surrounded by the soft warmth of a bedside lamp and overwhelming love for the other, they found themselves entwined together by morning's light.

Oliver. Len loved him as soon as he saw him, and even before. Despite the fact that Rin's pregnancy both shocked and worried them, it didn't stop Len from reading the unborn child bedtime stories and talking to him like he was already a young boy. Len still remembered kneeling next to Rin's standing form, comforting her about her newly gained weight by pressing his ear to her stomach and humming lullabies for both her and Oliver.

Rin was distraught by Oliver's death. She had not healed from the guilt of her father's death, and Oliver's was worse. Racked by Mikuo's injuries upon him and a condition he hadn't known he had, Oliver had passed away days later. Rin locked herself up in her room, and when Len joined her to comfort her, they'd gone far past the boundaries of speech.

So then there was Rin. His daughter, Rin.

The second pregnancy caused a wedge between Rin and Len that neither knew existed. Len wanted Rin to avoid having the child at all, for fear of losing her, and Rin refused to kill her unborn baby. The resulting fights had Len constantly teetering on the edge of blinded worry and unwavering loyalty to his wife's wishes. He did not want death. He hated death. He hated to have to choose between his wife, his light, his rock. The one woman who had pushed past his barrier and shattered it to pieces with her brilliant smile, gentle actions, and tender kisses.

But to him, Rin was the most important. That meant that what she wanted, Len wanted to give to her. And she wanted this baby girl so badly that he was overwhelmed by the way she would talk about a little golden-haired girl with blue eyes. Finally, with the heaviest heart, and a sadness that had hounded him months after Rin's death, Len had accepted Rin's wishes.

And seven months later, their beautiful, healthy, chubby baby girl was born. Light had filled the baby's eyes, but the same light had left Rin's.

Within twenty-one minutes of the birth of their daughter, Rin was gone.

-;-

The next five years had blurred by wildly. Rin was now a beautiful young girl, with soulful blue eyes, pin-straight blonde hair and a knack for talking to random animals. She was Rin's little golden-haired girl with blue eyes. Oliver was an eight year old copy of his father, with wildly tousled blond hair, a certain arrogance that drew every young lady around just a bit closer, and a very protective flair regarding his younger sister.

Len rose from the grave and sighed, taking both Rin and Oliver's hands. Leading them down towards the castle, he found himself attuning to Rin's absent questions.

"Daddy," she said, "was Mommy pretty?"

Len found it hard to speak all of a sudden, so he nodded, feeling a familiar catch in his throat. "She was the most beautiful woman I ever knew.

"Will you tell me about her?"

Len thought about everything- He thought about the Enchantress, the entire curse placed upon him. He remembered Kaito plucking the rose, staying with them, making an unfortunate deal to hand over his most precious belonging. He remembered Rin coming to the castle, frightened and frail, and how she soon managed to ease her way into his life and become _his _most precious belonging. Mikuo, and how Rin had managed to take the upper hand on the balcony, finally freeing him from the curse that plagued his life. Her, her beautiful smile as she kissed him before she uttered her last words.

"To me, Len, you'll always be both the sweet, awkward Beast that I fell for _and_ the strong, handsome Prince you always were. I love you."

He looked down at Rin's earnest, wide eyes and then back up at the sky, now grinning slightly.

"Yes, sweetheart." He led them down to the doors that were waiting oh-so-familiarly for them, where Luka would be waiting with her tea and Gakupo would be whipping up something delicious for Rin and Oliver, where Teto would be standing with new clothes and Gumi would be cleaning the castle till it polished. Where a now experienced Yuki would grin, standing with Rin and Oliver's favorite teacups, and Meiko would be taking their coats as they walked in.

Where Rin lingered everywhere, her soft smile in his head, as she watched over her family from wherever she was.

"I'll tell you everything." he promised, knowing all the while that this was not the end.

~Fin~

**annnd, the end. I hope you were all satisfied. YES, I ADMIT I TRICKED YOU AT THE BEGINNING. SORRY. I assumed Rin really wanted kids, and if she didn't _I _did. Well... I didn't want Rin to have a sappy end, but I really wanted children (just saying again for fun LOL)... XD please review one last time, even if you hated it... My friends all helped me out and I owe them heaps of thanks! **

**And please, suggestions for new stories are greatly welcome, appreciated, and thought about.**

**Thank you, guys, and check out my other stories if you will:)**

**~AliasStars, out.**

**P.S. OH WAIT. Listen, I have another chapter of... Alternate, goofy endings. If you'd like to see that, please tell me in your reviews! :D**


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